For the Lovers of Kage
by waterwicca
Summary: KENDALL/SAGE...others mixed in- Slash AND non-slash- I'll warn you... A series of one-shots for the destined coupling: Kendall and Sage :D Based off of "Past the Sorrow" but not needed to understand.
1. A Drop in the Ocean Part One

**A/N: HERE WE GO! I can't even tell you how excited I am for this :D**

**IMPORTANT before you read:**** This is off of the couple, Kendall/Sage, in my story "Past the Sorrow"… In order to understand these, you DO NOT have to necessarily read it (although I hope it'd be enjoyable lmao)**

**FOR MY CURRENT KAGE LOVERS****: this is an AU of PTS! That means the rules and circumstances are a bit different… It is set during the episode "Big Time Beach Party"… Unlike in PTS, the boys are the boys you know from BTR (it's all the rules of the show, and they are SEVENTEEN now :)… I think that's all you need to know.**

**and, this may or may not contain Jo bashing... Sorry to those of you who like her! but it's not ALL bad... just read and you'll see. It's not so much hating on her as it is saying that Kendall and Jo do not work as a couple here :)  
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**Just keep an open mind and enjoy! OH! And this is PART ONE… Part two (the last part) will be posted Friday as "chapter two" of this. So, story alert if you'd like :D **

**(Disclaimer: I don't own Big Time Rush, but I do own "Sage Henderson" :)  
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* * *

**"A Drop in the Ocean" (PART ONE)- Kendall Knight and Sage Henderson meet during summer vacation in Malibu. They are instantly bonded, but there's a problem. Kendall is dating Jo… (set during **Big Time Beach Party**)**

* * *

"Kendall, you're so amazing…"

That's all Kendall Knight had been hearing in the last few minutes; the longest minutes of his young life.

_You're so_ _fantastic_. _You're so_ _sexy_. _You're so_ _talented_. _You're so_ _perfect_. _Your smile is_ _breathtaking_, _and your singing voice feeds my soul. _

He wasn't James. He didn't need or necessarily want the compliments. They made his stomach churn with a nervous need to run and his mouth dry with the inability to use his usually quick witted speech. The praise was uncomfortable and, coming from its source, completely undesired. The overly enthusiastic Sandy couldn't seem to take a hint from his awkward laughter and tense shoulders. She just kept on going with her verbal tribute to his existence.

"Take a picture with me!" the brunette suddenly declared, not making it sound like a request he was capable of denying. The thought of refusing her eager wish felt akin to kicking a puppy that looked at you like you were holding a meaty treat. He couldn't do it; not to a huge fan that adored him with every creepy cell in her body.

Kendall had a hard time letting anyone down, even crazy strangers he met on the beach.

Sandy pulled out her phone and held it in front of them as she leaned even further into his dwindling personal space to pucker her pink lips near his cheek. She snapped picture after picture of them sitting on the beach blanket that was meant for him and his girlfriend, Jo. Pressing her soft body into his side and placing her hand on his knee, Kendall's eyes widened beneath his sunglasses, trying to think of the quickest way to escape the clingy girl.

The beach was vast, but they were in a relatively private area. Most of the people on the sand were the teens that Big Time Rush bussed over for the first day of their Malibu vacation. Griffin had compensated the boys for their recent success and high profits. They were long overdue for a break after working at the studio and juggling homework nearly every day for the past year, and they were granted a sweet reward. Gustavo would be working with new artists, trying to expand the label because of its new achievements, and Griffin gave the boys his beach house for the whole summer. They had two months of sunny fun and relaxation to look forward to, even though a perturbed Gustavo promised them grueling hours on harmonies and dancing to "whip their sunburned asses back into shape", but Kendall's deserved leisure was getting off on the wrong foot. He wasn't even sure if it was standing at all. Right now, he would have rather been in a punishing rehearsal with Mr. X.

"Listen, Sandy, I really appreciate the enthusiasm, but I'm kinda here to de-stress. I love that you're a fan, but-" Kendall tried to break her away from him slowly for the millionth time, struggling not to use his muscles on the girl and just shove her ass onto the stretch of beach next to him. She cut him off before he could finish a sentence. She had possibly been doing that more than he had been pulling away from her. The girl's mouth moved faster than either of their limbs.

"I can de-stress with you! We can just lay here and enjoy the day together… Maybe later we could go somewhere more private," Sandy's voice shifted a few octaves lower into what Kendall assumed was supposed to be an alluring tone. It sent all the wrong shivers up his spine, and he desperately wanted to be anywhere else when her fingers clenched his exposed knee in a vice grip and made him want to lose his lunch.

"Yeah, I'm sorry, you're really sweet, but I can't do that," Kendall kept his overly chipper smile, his white teeth standing out against his lips and tan skin in an attempt at being soothing, but also direct and friendly. He jumped off of the blanket, finally detangling himself from Sandy with a mental happy dance, and stood in front of the seated girl.

"Are you busy? 'Cause I'll be around tomorrow too-"

This time, it was Kendall's turn to interrupt Sandy.

"I can't _**ever**_. I have a girlfriend," he delivered the news like he knew that it would break her heart, but he really didn't care after the first five minutes of fake laughs and appeasing gestures. He was exhausted from her presence, but still forced himself to remain charming and cordial. After all, the excited brunette didn't mean any harm.

Kendall didn't mention the fact that his girlfriend wouldn't be around for the entire summer. Jo had planned to work her filming schedule around Kendall's vacation so they would have some time together, but her successful show, "New Town High", had receive a deal for a television-movie, and filming was slated to begin only two days before his Malibu getaway. She would be up in Canada shooting the film for the summer, and Kendall would remain by himself in sunny California until the final week, when Jo would be able to finish the vacation with him. Fate always seemed to mess the couple up. When Kendall's work finally stopped interfering with their relationship, Jo's would rear its ugly head. They had been dealing with it for several months, but seven whole weeks apart was going to be a trying test for both of them. Kendall had been optimistic, but now he was sort of wishing Jo was here to deter Sandy's advances. His girlfriend would be able to excuse acting like a bitchy girl because she was, well, a _**girl**_, but Kendall was neither bitchy nor female.

He compelled himself to stay nice and sociable, internally congratulating his gentlemanly behavior.

"That's okay. We can still hang out and see where things go," Sandy remained hopeful, and Kendall almost wanted to pat her on the back for her perseverance. He had been known to demonstrate the Knight family's trait of stubbornness himself, but he hoped he never got this bothersome. Sandy was still giving him a disturbing look of seduction that was doing nothing for him. He never even thought about any other girl besides Jo.

"I'm sorry, but-

"I'm gonna go get us a couple sodas! Stay here!" her voice was still abnormally animated. She didn't seem to notice his frown as she latched her surprisingly strong arms around his abdomen in a needy hug, her face pressing into his rigid torso while he kept his hands in the air as a form of surrender.

"O-Okay," he choked out a chuckle, aiming for equal enthusiasm and hoping that he sounded convincing enough for her to leave him alone for a minute.

Kendall sighed in relief when Sandy departed with a final squeeze, practically skipping across the sand in search of refreshments. Watching her move farther away, he took several paces backward with his eyes searching for the nearest exit. He counted the steps and only got to five before the loony brunette turned around to check on him with a flirtatious and frantic wave of her fingers. Kendall swallowed thickly and plastered on another forced smile, his lips fighting to turn down in a frown of disgust, and lifted his hand in a weak form of salute until she spun back around. He decided that he was done being cautious, and, as soon as her eyes were off of him, Kendall pivoted through the sand swiftly and dashed behind the base of the nearby bluffs.

The ocean was relatively calm, so the water barely met his heels as he rounded the smallest point of the rocks and took cover on the other side. The sand was much cooler, and the sun's bright rays didn't directly strike the ground behind the bluffs because of the early hour of the day. Kendall crouched down dramatically and swiped his sunglasses off of his eyes, slipping them onto the neck of his t-shirt, and glanced around the immediate area for any sign of Sandy. He was hoping to wait the girl out. If she came back, and he was nowhere to be seen, then hopefully she'd give up her crusade to date the unavailable pop star and forget about him.

"Hey, are you okay?"

A soft voice broke him out of his panic and sent him into a fresh wave of paranoia.

"Ah!" Kendall yelped in surprise and landed hard on his butt, instantly looking around for Sandy. He didn't see the brunette, but he did see a lovely, hopefully sane, blonde.

She was sitting against the rocks with her knees drawn up towards her chest and a notebook in her lap. Watching him curiously, her dark green eyes contrasted vibrantly with her pale skin as they morphed into a look of amusement when she studied his sprawled limbs and frantic behavior. Her pink lips turned up into a smirk while she tilted her head to the side, making her long hair flow over to favor one of her shoulders and her sunglasses shift slightly where they rested at the top of her head.

"This looks weird, right?" Kendall smiled uneasily. Earlier he thought Sandy was embarrassing herself, but now he felt like he had stolen her role. Struggling to rise to his feet smoothly, he knew he probably seemed like a spastic idiot. It was a lot less humiliating when he was acting like a fool in a group with Logan, James, and Carlos.

"A little," the blonde girl popped the cap onto the pen she was holding and pinched her thumb and index finger close together, only making her smile widen as he huffed out a heavy breath and dusted the sand off of his clothes.

"Sorry, I probably look like a dumbass, but I'm trying to dodge this clingy, psychotic chick- Shit!" Kendall's tone had been fast paced and cordial as he looked at the intrigued girl, but he reverted back to a high-pitched cry of alarm when he spotted Sandy making a beeline for his hiding spot, which he had abandoned when he got startled.

Kendall's eyes widened and the sitting blonde kept her smirk as he darted his head around their immediate area wildly, not even thinking to attempt to crouch down again, and searched for a way to avoid the obnoxious fanatic heading in his direction. He was biting his tongue and taking one step forward and another backward, essentially staying in the same spot he had started and making no progress.

"Kendall, there you are! I decided against the drinks and figured we should just go out for lunch. It'll be like our first date," Sandy approached him quickly, making Kendall curse her long legs as the distance was closed before he could blink.

When he regained some of his composure, he had to fight back his glare of annoyance. He had already gone over this with her, but Sandy was still inching towards his body and reaching her hands out to hug him without asking. Her stare was overly intense and had him wanting to whine, thinking that she was never going to get the hint, which wasn't even really a hint anymore. He thought he had been very direct, but apparently he was too nice for his own good. Keeping a small smile of pity, Kendall grabbed her shoulders lightly to keep her from coming any closer and held her still.

"I'm sorry, Sandy, but I can't have lunch with you," he made his words sharp and sluggish so that there was no doubt about his intent. "I already told you that I have a girlfriend," he reminded her, pressing his lips into a hard line and narrowing his eyes.

"I know, but I don't see her anywhere," the eager teen took a small step forward and reached out to touch his abdomen with a new wave of disgusting seduction on her face.

"She's right here."

The blonde girl, who Kendall had forgotten about and Sandy never noticed, spoke and stood up abruptly, tossing her notebook down into the sand along with her pen. She wore an amiable smile, which was aimed at Sandy, and her eyes darted to Kendall to silently warn him to play along with a slight raise of her thin eyebrows. He was stunned for a moment, and then he smirked easily and recovered with an outstretched hand to the helpful stranger.

She accepted it with a smile, and their fingers interlocked. The girl leaned into his side, standing only a few inches shorter than him in her wedged sandals. He estimated that she would be about Carlos' height if she wasn't wearing shoes, and he found himself relaxing into her enthusiastic embrace. Unlike Sandy, who made Kendall instantly nervous, this new fellow conspirator made him comfortable. It helped that she wasn't only wearing a bathing suit. She had a small pair of jean shorts and a black tank top on, and she seemed more normal than anyone he had run into so far on his first day in Malibu even though he knew next to nothing about her. She was helping a random person in need, and that was good enough for Kendall to have a high opinion of her.

"Yup, this is my sweetie!" Kendall declared zealously, unlinking their hands and wrapping a tan arm around her shoulders to pull the girl tightly against him and kiss the top of her head quickly for dramatic effect, not even thinking about Jo at the moment. He just pretended that this blonde was his girlfriend.

Kendall internally patted himself on the back for a convincing show, thinking that James would be proud of his acting talent. Carlos would probably be upset that he missed this moment and a little pissed at his fortunate friend. The unfortunate Latino had experienced no luck in the romance department recently, and now Kendall technically had three girls. Logan would probably just be glad he wasn't in Kendall's situation. He hated lying almost as much as he hated the attention of overzealous girls. He only ever agreed to go out with Camille after they had one of their first normal conversations. Kendall was probably the most ordinary guy in all of Big Time Rush, yet somehow he found himself in so many extraordinary circumstances. As of right now, meeting a crazed girl that wanted to get in his pants on day one of his beach vacation took the cake.

"You're serious?" Sandy asked, her expression turning forlorn as she studied the pair of teenagers before her. The object of her desire nodded his head vigorously and rubbed his "girlfriend's" bare shoulder beneath his palm while she pressed the side of her face into his chest.

"As a heart attack," Kendall insisted happily, not able to force away his smile of joy when he realized the brunette was buying it.

"_**Fine**_," Sandy spat viciously, losing her pleading pout almost as soon as it came with a look of annoyance at the girl in his arms. "Maybe I'll see you around…" her eyes lit up as she brought them back to Kendall. She grinned and played with the end of her ponytail flirtatiously.

Feeling her "boyfriend" tense up beside her, the nameless girl reached up to his hand on her shoulder and interlocked their fingers once again with a harsh glare at Sandy and a fake smile on her lips.

"Yeah, _**we'll**_ see you later," her voice was genial, but Kendall wanted to laugh at her professional use of subtle emotions with her emerald eyes. They spoke volumes.

He breathed deep, relaxing for the first time in what seemed like forever, when Sandy stormed off without another word. Her defeated and angry posture said everything they needed to know. The overzealous adolescent had finally taken a hint.

"Thank you so much!" Kendall cheered and spun to face his new partner in crime with an eager and grateful smile. Their warm bodies broke apart, and the slight breeze felt a little too chilly on their skin. The girl's eyes were back to their normal amusement, easily losing the act once their nemesis had disappeared. She shrugged her shoulders modestly. "Seriously, I feel like I should pay you or something," Kendall chuckled, taking another pleased look at the crazy-teen free space around them.

"I think that might be considered prostitution," she smirked playfully, crossing her arms just below her chest and looking down at the sand beneath their feet, making her blonde hair graze the skin of her forearms. She glanced around for her abandoned notebook and smiled when she spotted it.

Kendall thought her joke should have made him stutter or blush, not having ever discussed sex much with any female. He was still a virgin and waiting for the time to be right with Jo, but this girl didn't faze him at all. In fact, he felt himself itching to banter back, but not in the way that he would do with his girlfriend. Jo often made him feel like arguing because of her stubborn attitude. This girl's tone and words made him feel secure enough to talk back without hesitation, knowing that his statement wouldn't be taken the wrong way or lead to a quarrel. Being able to speak freely was refreshing.

"You didn't do me any sexual favors, so I think we're good in the eyes of the law," he smirked right back at her, watching as her eyes met his after she picked up her notebook and pen off of the ground, shaking the sand from the pages.

"Good to know. I'd hate to end up in jail for helping such a national treasure," she teased him lightly, her smile staying friendly as she gathered a messenger bag from where she had been sitting and threw it over her shoulder. She removed the sunglasses from her hair and placed them over her face as the clouds shifted in the sky and the shade diminished. Kendall found himself missing her direct eye contact immediately. She was hard to read without it.

"So, you know who I am?" Kendall asked suddenly, realizing what she had called him. She nodded slowly.

"Kendall Knight from Big Time Rush, right?" she inquired, biting her bottom lip innocently, thinking she may have gotten it wrong; not having too much knowledge about the rising band.

"Yup, that's me… I still gotta get used to this being-recognized thing," he snickered, shaking his head slightly.

They say fame doesn't come over night, but it sure felt like it to him. He could still remember high school and hockey in Minnesota, and now he was on a beach in Malibu. Life moved so fast sometimes, and he was just struggling day by day. He loved the band, but his personal life outside of the studio felt out of his control. That's why he had been grateful for this vacation. No work would be a welcomed change, and he'd be able to focus on other things; things that may not have mattered otherwise.

"Wait, I don't know who you are. I should probably have my fake-girlfriend's name up here for reference," he bantered with a smile, pointing to his temple.

"Oh, now I feel like the idiot," she giggled and moved forward to stand right in front of him. She lifted her sunglasses into her hair again so that she could politely make eye contact. "I'm Sage Henderson."

Kendall's smile widened, and, if you asked him why, he wouldn't have known. The second he met Sage his life just changed. It wasn't an epic explosion of fireworks or a big neon sign directing him into a new phase of his young existence. It was so subtle that he wouldn't even see it until it all caught up with him at once and shook both teenagers' worlds. In this moment, the only thing he knew was that he was comfortable and happy, and that was enough for him to reach out his hand to shake Sage's.

"Thanks for helping me, Sage," he stared right at her, losing his train of thought for a moment when her name left his lips; surprised at how natural it felt. It seemed like he had said it just as many times as "James", "Carlos", or "Logan".

"It's not a problem. You looked like you were in a bind, and I wasn't busy, so…" Sage trailed off, waving her hand modestly, not searching for gratitude. "Besides, I've seen that girl around here for the last couple of days. I saw the cops escort her off of Russell Brand's property yesterday. We'll just call it a favor to society and your actual girlfriend," she grinned and toyed with the metal spiral of the notebook clasped tightly against her chest.

"Why can't it be a favor to _**me**_?" he asked curiously, raising an eyebrow and shoving his hands into his pockets. She seemed taken aback by his question, not expecting him to tease her as much as she was joking with him.

"I- I don't like anyone owing me anything…" she answered nervously. She knew what if felt like to be on the opposite end of a favor. Sage hated the feeling of being in debt, and she'd never wish it on others, even a relative stranger like Kendall Knight.

Kendall's smile lessened, already thinking that the uncomfortable expression didn't suit the girl at all. One second she looked confident and fun, and now he pushed her into an emotion she didn't seem to be prepared for.

"Okay, then we'll be debt free as soon as this conversation is over," he assured her, keeping the playful tone in his voice that he noticed calmed her down.

"So, you're forcing me to talk to you?" she teased, her eyes softening and her posture relaxing. "What do you wanna know?"

"Well, I've got your name, what else is there? Address? Social Security number?" he asked rhetorically, happily eliciting more laughter from his new friend.

"I'm staying at my family's beach house for the summer," Sage stopped to nod up at her house, making Kendall smile.

"Not only are we fake-dating, but we're also real neighbors," Kendall declared cheerfully, pointing up to the building right beside hers.

"I thought that belonged to Arthur Griffin?"

"It does! He's our boss, and this summer is his gift to us," Kendall explained further, looking excited for the vacation. He stopped when his phone rang in his pocket. He pulled it out with a groan, smiling apologetically at Sage as he answered it. "What is it, James?... No, do _**not**_ let Carlos dig for treasure in the basement… How could that possibly sound like a good idea? Where's Logan?... He's _**helping**_? Is he high?"

Kendall yelled into his phone, his expression one of panic while Sage watched in delight. She had been there for a week, and Kendall was by far the most interesting person she had ever met. Actually, he was the only person she had spoken to.

"Ugh, I'll be up in a minute. There's no way I'm letting us get sent back to the Palm Woods. It hasn't even been an hour!" Kendall rolled his eyes and ended the call without saying goodbye. "Sorry about that." He stopped to look at Sage, suddenly feeling upset that he had to leave.

"It's okay. I'm sure I'll see you later, but no debt, alright? I don't want you doing something stupid because you feel like I helped you out," Sage reminded him weakly, adjusting her bag on her shoulder again.

"First of all, you _**did**_ help me out. Second, why would you assume that I'd do something stupid?" He grinned, showing her that she may not have been all that inaccurate with her guess.

"Your friends are digging for treasure in your boss' million dollar beach house. You can't hang out with guys like that and be sane all the time," she chuckled, taking several steps backwards, and started to move around the rocks. Placing her sunglasses back over her eyes, Sage turned to him with a final wave. "See you around, Neighbor."

Kendall waved back at her slowly, keeping his essence of confidence as he watched her walk away from the bluffs. He responded softly, pretty sure that his answer was too late to be heard, but he said it anyway.

"Count on it."

* * *

"Jo, can we not do this, please?" Kendall stepped out of his newly acquired beach house, feeling the late morning breeze flow in from the Pacific.

His girlfriend had called as soon as he and the boys were about to leave for an early lunch, but her tone told him that the conversation couldn't wait, and he sent his friends on without him. Now, he was gripping his cell phone tightly, keeping a smile on his face as he begged for a change of topic. Jo had found out about the overeager Sandy, and she wasn't too pleased… or too trusting of her boyfriend.

"No, I can practically hear your stupid smile, Kendall Knight. Contrary to popular belief, it doesn't fix everything," she sounded aggravated, her voice constantly rising and falling in pitch.

"There's nothing to fix!" he yelled back in disbelief, looking around the beach as if he thought he was the only sane one in the whole world. He moved past the infinity pool and grill area, stepping onto the private stairs leading to the beach. Taking them one step at a time, he cringed at his girlfriend's next words.

"So, you don't think our relationship is worth fixing?" she accused him venomously, and, if he was actually in front of her, he imagined he'd see her crossing her arms and bearing her brown eyes into his taller, yet somehow meeker, frame.

"Stop putting words in my mouth! I'm not saying that at all… You know I care about you, but you tend to… overreact," Kendall admitted awkwardly, taking a few more steps before shutting his eyes as he waited for Jo's response with fear. In an ideal relationship, he knew that he shouldn't have to be scared of her reactions, but he kept finding out that he wasn't in an ideal relationship by any means.

"I do _**not**_ overreact, Kendall! If anything, you _**underreact**_!" Jo fought with fervor, turning her own negative attribute back onto him in her typical manipulative fashion. She controlled all of their discussions; how they flowed, how they began, and how they ended. This was no exception.

"That's not even possible," he sighed heavily, speaking in a reassuring tone. "If I was underreacting, then I wouldn't even be talking to you right now. I would have ignored your call and your feelings…" he sounded appeasing and sweet, but he couldn't help adding to his speech internally, _"… even if both of them are occasionally pissy…"_

Kendall smiled enthusiastically and continued aloud.

"I do everything to make sure that we stay close through our crazy schedules. I work with you all the time no matter what," he reminded her, hoping she'd see his point of view, but Jo was still irritated with him.

"You're not working at all right now, Kendall… I'm on set in Vancouver filming a movie, and you're vacationing in Malibu with your hooligan bandmates and girls in bikinis!"

Kendall instantly wanted to groan and raise his voice at her tirade. He hated it when she took jabs at his brothers. Jo never seemed to find the good qualities in them at all when she got amped up. They're there, but she just seemed to want to pick out the negative. Only a few weeks earlier, she even wanted to change Carlos so he could get a date.

Kendall thought Carlos was just fine the way he was, and so were James and Logan. He didn't want any of them to ever alter who they were, or their group wouldn't work as impeccably as it did. They thrived on each other's differences; filling the gaps and taking over with supportive stances when there was a flaw in their nearly unbreakable structure. They were a team composed of diverse members with various circumstances that came together despite all odds at an early age. There was no single reason that Big Time Rush was such a strong family. They just existed together, and loved each other permanently.

Jo messed with that from day one. Her appearance at the Palm Woods got them all to turn on each other like animals. Granted, Kendall got the girl in the end and everything worked out, but it was times like these that he thought he should have picked up the lesson that was waiting to be learned during the whole love song ordeal after Jo moved to Hollywood from North Carolina. At first, he thought it was intriguing that she wanted to fight him on everything. It was their form of flirting, but now it was Jo's form of nagging, and Kendall always rolled over again and again for her.

He missed who he used to be. He used to be a protector, a leader. He used to be needed and loved, not just wanted. It was like Jo took his presence for granted. She just assumed that he'd always be right next to her when she was ready to call for him, and, every time he wasn't, he had a verbal assault to look forward to.

Jo's favorite things to rant about were usually out of Kendall's control.

"Who is this Sandy anyway? Why were you just letting her hang all over you?"

And there it was…

"Jo, she was a fan that I met here on our first day. She was really supportive of… the band…" Kendall fumbled, thinking it was best not to point out that she was obsessed with him specifically, "…and I had trouble shaking her loose. She got a little extreme, but I dodged her. She's not gonna be bothering me anymore."

"She put pictures of you two together all over the internet, and she's kissing you!" Jo screamed, and he thought he could hear her stamp her foot.

Kendall sighed again, not even attempting to bring up the fact that the Sandy issue had happened over two days ago, and Jo was just calling him _**now**_. He had tried to get in contact with her to tell her everything before there was a problem, but she ignored his calls and texted that she was too busy or exhausted to talk. It wasn't his fault that she just saw the pictures now, and, of course, she thought that he'd been hiding something from her. Calling her four times a day and texting at least twice? Yeah, real secretive…

Kendall just kept his mouth shut. It was what he was used to doing. Jo was easier to handle when you agreed with her or merely let her talk, but it hadn't always been a problem for Kendall. It used to be one of her qualities that he admired. She was stubborn and determined; similar traits that he himself possessed, but, as the weeks dragged on, and they both became more occupied with their careers, he saw the pushier side of those attributes.

Jo was always down his throat about one thing or another, which often caused them to spend their short time together arguing over something that never mattered in the first place. He'd rather be watching a movie or holding her in his arms and talking about their hectic days, but he never gets that. Jo was starting to become high maintenance. That was James or Carlos' sort of thing when it came to girls, not Kendall's.

Logan, being the one that could always read Kendall the best, had told him again and again to reevaluate the relationship and ask himself if it was really what he wanted, but Kendall evaded that almost as much as he tried to avoid a fight with his girlfriend. Maybe he ignored the boy's wise advice because Logan was trying to get him to see a truth that was hiding there without being crude or pushy, doing what any good best friend does. This truth was one that he wasn't ready to view, but it was ultimately Kendall's choice whether he accepted the fact that he and Jo may not be right for each other. As of right now, that decision was far from his mind. He was only concerned with the current conversation.

"She was kissing my cheek, Jo, and it's not like I was begging her to plant one on me," he chuckled uneasily, giving off his disbelieving attitude at his girlfriend's ability to blow things out of proportion.

"Well, you weren't exactly stopping her…" Jo was whining now, the irritation still present but dwindling.

"Come on, I'm not gonna shove away a huge fan. That's rude," Kendall softened his voice, but his face showed his annoyance. He hated that he felt like he had to remind her about manners.

"I know… but…"

This was his favorite part of any of their arguments; the part where Kendall finally got to let his shoulders relax. Jo was relenting a little.

"You're upset," he finished her thought for her with what felt like his hundredth sigh, reaching the sand at the bottom of the stairs with heavy steps. He strolled down the beach leisurely, keeping the phone securely tucked against his ear as he headed towards the water.

"Of course I'm upset!" Jo shouted again, but her voice was losing its venom, and Kendall knew he could relax a bit more.

He just wanted the phone call to end. The morning was beautiful, and it was a different way to see it all compared to the view he got at the Palm Woods. Something like Malibu was another thing he could have never experienced in Sherwood, Minnesota. He wanted to cherish it. He had two months of it, but even that seemed short. Everything moved so quickly in Los Angeles, and it was hard to keep up with the breakneck pace. Time to breathe like this was good. It was good for all of them.

"I know… I know you are, but I promise that everything is okay. There's no reason to feel insecure."

Almost as soon as he finished his sentence, he regretted it. Even if what he said was absolutely true and delivered pleasantly, he knew that the words shouldn't have been spoken. It was going to fire her up, and he walked right into it.

"Kendall, I am not insecure! These are perfectly legitimate worries! There's evidence online. I don't think that I'm completely insane here…"

Jo continued her rant, but Kendall had stopped listening, his final thought being that her distrust in him was aggravating and insulting, but even that negative state of mind drifted away when he found something new to focus on. He spotted the girl who had helped him with Sandy two days ago.

Sage Henderson, his neighbor for the summer, was lying on an orange blanket near the water. Her sunglasses were thrown on top of a notebook by her side, and her hands were resting over her smooth, bare stomach. The bikini she was wearing was plain and black, and Kendall found himself shamelessly studying every small curve of her slim body as much as he could from his position several yards behind her.

The girl's long blonde hair was somewhat darker and waved, bunching slightly beneath her head where it pressed into the fabric under her, showing that she had most likely been swimming a while ago and was now drying off in the warm sun. Sage's lean legs were bent at the knee, her feet digging into the sand beyond the blanket, and her eyes were closed peacefully. At first, he thought she may have been asleep, but then she grinned, startling him into actually realizing what he was doing.

Kendall donned an awkward, disbelieving smile, looking around his general vicinity to see if anyone had noticed him blatantly watching this girl. Sage did something to him that he never experienced before. He was usually so tactful in social situations. He was always in control, but now he was staring at her like a thirteen-year-old that couldn't handle his actions after puberty kicked in. She mesmerized him. After he realized that he hadn't been caught, and he still kept watching her anyway, he knew it for sure.

Sage definitely put Kendall into a trance, and it was frightening and exhilarating all at the same time.

He didn't know whether he felt more like running to her or away from her, so he stood completely still as he watched her smile widen and her eyes open with excitement. She rolled over onto her side, swiping the pen from beside the open notebook and carelessly letting her sunglasses fall to the blanket beneath her. As she sat up fully, still keeping a happy expression, she laid the pad in her lap and scribbled something down furiously. He observed the way her back shifted as her right arm worked over the paper in front of her, and every move she made only deepened his infatuation. Although he was definitely studying her body, Kendall found that his thoughts weren't even sexual. He focused more on his curiosity towards her. Watching Sage made him want to talk to her, touch her, laugh with her… and he didn't even know her…

"Kendall!"

He suddenly remembered that he was on the phone with Jo.

Jo, his girlfriend.

Right.

He instantly felt as guilty as she made him out to be, but not for the same reasons. He shook his head and tore his eyes away from Sage, yelling at himself to get it together and stop being a douchebag.

"Sorry, Jo… I got distracted. Carlos was doing this really funny thing with a bowl of cereal…"

"Awesome." Her voice was dry and sarcastic, and he could tell that she had rolled her eyes.

Kendall would have normally been annoyed, but the guilt ate away at him faster than the frustration. Not only was he looking at another girl, but he also just lied to Jo for the first time.

"I really am sorry, Babe. I swear, I understand where you're coming from, and I promise that there's nothing to worry about. Sandy is gone. I told her that I had a girlfriend that I care a lot about. I'm not gonna jeopardize that…" Kendall spoke softly, but, even as he made a promise that he intended to keep, his gaze drifted back to Sage.

She had stopped writing and resumed her position on the blanket. If he had never seen her get up in the first place, he was sure that he would have never known she had moved at all.

"Really?" Jo brought him back to his phone conversation, which he had almost forgotten about again. She sounded pleasant, like she thought she was being cute, but it just made Kendall's stomach ache. It wasn't a lie, but he had only really said what did to get her off of his back.

He really wanted to mean it, but, with Jo, he often found himself using his brain a lot more than his heart.

"Yup, of course…" he recovered easily, nodding for emphasis even though she couldn't see him.

"Thank you for recognizing that you did something wrong- Oh! I'm getting called back to set. I gotta go…"

Kendall was instantly enraged at her backhanded gratitude. It was as if she wanted _**him**_ to learn something from every single one of their verbal exchanges. God forbid she ever have something to absorb or change about herself so they could be at their best together. He did all of the labor in their relationship and Jo supervised. Kendall was a leader, not a follower, but he sucked it up and planted a big smile on his face so that his tone would hopefully reflect his features.

"Okay, Babe. Have a good time. Don't work too hard," he stayed serene, but a bitter taste overcame his tongue as he thought that costarring with overly handsome Jett Stetson wasn't really hard work. As usual, he didn't voice his opinion. He just gave Jo what she wanted, "Again, I'm sorry… I hate it when we fight…"

"I hate it too."

Then why does she always start an argument?

He wanted to ask her the question constantly running through his mind, but Kendall just bit his bottom lip and smiled even though she wasn't there to see it. It's what he always did. He always rolled over. He always gave in…

"Alright, I'll let you go. Have a good day. I'll talk to you later whenever you get a chance to call."

"Okay, bye, Kenny," Jo used the nickname that he despised, making him cringe as it flowed through the receiver.

Maybe he didn't actually hate the name itself. The distaste most likely came with the way she said it; sickeningly sweet like it could solve every tension between them just because she occasionally falls all over him.

Kendall never wanted that. He didn't really mind arguments, but he wished that they were more productive and that they didn't always end like this; Jo being too lovey-dovey and Kendall lacking the balls to say anything to the contrary. It was like she was always fake with him. Everything was like one of her movies. She wanted the perfect story and the perfect ending, but Kendall knew that life didn't work that way. He wanted someone who knew that too; who knew that everything couldn't be composed of rainbows and sunshine, but he had Jo, and he wouldn't search for anything more, even if Logan constantly told him that he deserved it.

Jo's fine. They have some problems, but all couples do. It's merely something else for Kendall Knight to figure out the solution to.

He just didn't realize that there wasn't always a solution for everything. Sometimes, two puzzle pieces just don't fit, and you have to keep searching in the huge pile for the right one, but Kendall was born stubborn. He was going to jam two of them together with all of his might until one snapped in half and the entire puzzle was ruined. He and Jo were headed for destruction unless one of them did something different or jumped off of the path that they were on completely.

"Bye," he ended the strenuous phone call in a bright voice, but, as soon as they were disconnected, the frown was back on his face.

He couldn't figure them out. It was like every single one of their conversations drove them further and further apart, yet he couldn't really make himself do anything other than what he usually did.

Kendall slipped his phone into his pocket, tucked his sunglasses onto the neckline of his t-shirt, and shifted his eyes back to Sage like a moth to a flame. He had almost forgotten that she was there, thinking about his issues with Jo, but, as soon as he spotted her again, it was like he had never had the horrible discussion in the first place.

He observed Sage as she smiled and rose up, just like she had done before, to write something down. Kendall strolled a little closer, going at a slow pace, almost as if he was mentally giving himself a chance to back out like he knew he should and walk away. He had an odd, apprehensive feeling in his gut; like this next insignificant event would change his life. He knew that it could go really well or really wrong, but how could one conversation in a series of millions in his life lead to any sort of monumental shift?

With a silent snicker, he shook the thought away.

Kendall didn't believe in fate. He made his own choices. Good or bad, the consequences would be his alone to deal with and no one else's.

He walked forward, making his decision, and smiled softly as he saw Sage finish what she was writing and toss the notebook in the sand at her feet instead of beside her. Just as she was lying back down, Kendall caught a glimpse of a scar across the lower half of her side, dragging at least three inches parallel to the line of her right hip. It made his curiosity grow. He wanted to ask Sage so many questions, and he didn't know why she seemed to matter so much to him. She just did, and Kendall didn't want to stop and question it. He just rolled with the punches like he always did.

He approached her after she was resting again, her eyes shutting softly with her dark lashes brushing against the pale skin beneath them. Crossing his arms over his chest, Kendall finally spoke to her for the first time since they met two days earlier. They were neighbors, and he was around a lot during the day, but she was surprisingly absent during that time.

"Come here often?" he asked cheekily, aiming to get her to smile from the lame line.

Sage jumped, her whole body jerking quickly, and he almost couldn't fight the urge to hug her. He thought the idea was insane. He didn't know her, but a simple display of innocent fear made him want to take care of her.

Recovering, Sage smirked when she saw him and leaned up on one hand to look over her shoulder. She glared playfully and then laid back down with her fingers laced over her abdomen again.

"Get stalked by any crazy chicks lately?" she shot back easily, making Kendall laugh genuinely for the first time all morning. He boldly stepped onto the blanket after kicking his shoes off and rested beside her, mirroring her prone body.

While he stared at the small clouds decorating the blue sky above them, they shared a quiet moment. It was peaceful and not awkward, which he thought it would have been, and he couldn't stop smiling the entire time. Kendall was sure he looked idiotic, but he couldn't make himself care. Being next to Sage was one of the most comforting experiences he ever had, and they had barely spoken to each other for five minutes total. It was an oddity, and Kendall liked that. He liked abnormality.

He only tore his eyes away from the sky when Sage sat up again. He thought she may have been getting ready to tell him to leave because, even to himself, he seemed a little creepy, but she just went for her notebook by her legs, wrote something, closed it, and then lay back down without a single word. Kendall grinned as he watched her closely, but she ignored him, shutting her emerald-colored eyes from view. Leaning up on his elbow, he found himself only inches from hovering above her, and he sort of wished he actually was. Lifting his hand up to place it gently on her abdomen would have been so easy. He felt like he just wanted to touch and feel her to see if she actually existed, but he didn't. He couldn't.

"You're kinda funny," Kendall smirked, speaking smartly with a light tone in his voice as he observed her odd behavior.

Sage smiled widely, almost laughing before she stopped herself, and cracked her eyes open to look up at him. She only had to turn her head a little to stare right at his face, and she didn't seem to mind that he was sharing so much of her personal space. It made Kendall want to lean in even more to test her limits, but he stayed put. He had a girlfriend who's limits were supposed to be more important, but he had trouble even remembering Jo whenever Sage spoke.

"You're probably the only one who thinks so," she mumbled, keeping her face calm as she lifted her upper body off of the blanket with both hands and took the notebook into her lap again to write yet another note.

"Why do you keep doing that?" he asked, sitting up with her and avoiding the heavy comment she had just made. He let it go, but he was still determined to learn more about Sage. He wanted to know everything.

"When I get an idea I write it down right away so I won't forget it," she explained it simply, still composing on the paper as she spoke, obviously trying to concentrate and do it as fast as she could before the words left her mind.

"Huh… are you some sort of genius?" he wondered innocently, only half joking. Logan was _**always **_writing something down.

"Now you're the funny one," Sage giggled, rolling her eyes at the thought.

She threw the notebook towards her feet again, turning her full attention to Kendall. She was still smiling softly, her laughter subsiding as she met his eyes, and then it was as if she suddenly noticed their close proximity and her lack of clothing. Even Kendall forgot about her half-naked form after he had gotten over the initial interest and decided that his mind was more content with actually talking to her, but she looked a little shy once she realized that she only wore a bikini and he was dressed in swim trunks and a t-shirt. Kendall saw her shift her posture, finding it interesting that she was so abruptly timid, but he didn't say or do anything different as she rolled her shoulders and reached next to her for her cover-up and shrugged the light green fabric over her head, causing some of her damp hair to stick to her neck from the movement. Kendall just watched on, trying to appear as impassive as possible, but he still felt the desire to brush the hair away with his fingertips. Almost as quickly as the need arrived, he swallowed it down with the new wave of shame that was tightening his chest.

"No way in hell am I a genius… not that I'm completely dense, but school isn't really my thing. I'm more… artistic…" she spoke through their brief silence, easily falling back into conversation with Kendall, but she sounded as if she wasn't sure if she used the right word or not. It was like she had never explained who she was before.

"You write, then?" Kendall inquired further, keeping his composure and billions of questions at bay. Something about her made him excited and jumpy, but, being who he was, he remained calm and collected. He couldn't explain why or how, but he was almost sure that she smirked knowingly, somehow detecting his inward feelings as she kept their talk going without calling him on it.

"Yeah, not books or poems. That's a little above my level of understanding… I write scripts… I'm hoping to get into the family business…" she admitted sheepishly, not ever having talked about her career goals with anyone before.

"Which would be?" Kendall questioned further, quietly hoping that this conversation wouldn't ever end. It was so simple and effortless. It was easy, and that's what he'd been craving.

"My father is Elliot Henderson. He's a pretty successful movie producer… I thought about directing, and even acting, but I decided that writing is what I want to do… I prefer to be behind the scenes…"

Kendall instantly thought that someone like her hiding in the background was a shame, but he pushed the idea away and concentrated on the topic at hand.

"I've heard of your dad. He and your mom are in the local news a lot when award season comes around. So, you and your family are staying here for the summer?" he wondered, finding his eyes drifting towards the house he knew was hers as if he would see Elliot and Julia Henderson appear out of thin air in all of their Hollywood glory.

"No, I'm alone… My father's working, my mother's doing whatever it is that she does, and I have a brother, but he's at an art school in New York," Sage shrugged, tucking one leg beneath her and playing with the hem of the blanket beneath them.

"How old are you?" Kendall sounded shocked, tilting his head in concern, which didn't go unnoticed by Sage. The show of emotion made her smile, forgetting the parts of her life that crept up her spine like an icy chill or stinging electricity.

"Seventeen," she breathed the number out heavily, knowing what his reaction was going to be. He silently cheered when he heard that she was the same age as him, not really knowing why he should have cared, and then recovered to get back to his point.

"And you're just spending these next two months all alone in a huge house with no one else? That doesn't seem-"

"Normal?" she offered for him, smiling slyly and shaking her head. "No, it's not, but abnormal circumstances breed abnormal results," she sighed, one corner of her lips quirking up along with a shoulder in a dismissive gesture. She couldn't change the past.

"Yup, you're definitely a writer," he teased her for her last statement, finding her small blush and eye roll endearing. "You don't have any friends that come over to keep you company or anything?"

"None that I talk to. It's been an… eventful year. My parents wanted me to come here so I can 'get my head on straight'," she made quotation marks through the air with her fingers, using a slightly deeper voice in what he assumed was an imitation of her father, making him laugh again.

"So, you're a loner?" he asked humorously, keeping the mood light, which she was eternally grateful for.

"Yeah, I guess I am," Sage chuckled at the thought. Only three months ago, she was the farthest thing from a loner. If anything, she relied far too much on social interaction.

"Well, then I'm officially your first new friend… I'm kinda honored," Kendall raised an eyebrow, leaning back on his hands and looking proud of himself.

"Who said we're friends? I don't even know you…" she declared quickly, giving him a small grin as she stood up and swiftly walked towards the water.

"Not true! You know my name, my profession, and we were in cahoots just a few days ago. What else do you want to know?" Kendall rushed after her, keeping his smile as they reached the Pacific's waves where they met the beach.

The water went up to his ankles, occasionally receding back before pushing in again as he came to stand right beside her. With her arms crossed, Sage was watching the birds fly in an organic formation close to the horizon. The sun was still behind them, not too high in the sky yet because of the time of day, and it casted a dull orange glow against her porcelain skin. That was the first time Kendall was sure she must be supernatural, and it was also the first time he forgot to keep his composure and ended up letting out a single string of laughter at himself for the idiotic, overly romantic thought. Sage furrowed her brown, smiling awkwardly at him as she turned at his sudden sound. He instantly straightened up, shaking his head and begging her not to ask, which she complied to with ease.

"Tell me something that no one else knows…" she suggested, bringing him back to the point of him following her into the water. It was rising towards their shins now as the breeze picked up a bit, blowing small pieces of Sage's blonde hair as she looked at him for a response. Her expression was hopeful but guarded, trying to gauge his reaction.

Kendall was thrown off by the idea. No one ever asked him to dive this deep, and he liked it. He felt like they were about to share a moment; an epic moment that no one else will ever know about or understand. It was something special between two people, and he couldn't even bother to care that they were practically a pair of strangers. He didn't want to just be simple acquaintances. He wanted more.

After taking a moment to consider it, Kendall gave her an honest answer; truly saying something he had never divulged before, even to his best friends.

"I… I feel like something in my life is missing, and I think that sounds really stupid… I have so much to be thankful for… I've got fantastic friends and bandmates. They're really more like my brothers… I have a great job doing something that I love with the people that I love… I have a good girlfriend that cares about me…" he paused, thinking how he verbally left out the fact that she cared way _**too**_ much to the point of annoyance, "… and a fantastic mother and baby sister, yet I still want more… It sounds really selfish, doesn't it? In fact, forget I said it," Kendall had donned a serious expression, but his lips tightened and he shook his head vigorously, trying to smile so that they could forget everything he just said.

However, Sage wouldn't let him. She constantly challenged him in their short time together, and, even though it was difficult and a little frightening, he enjoyed it. He liked having an equal; someone who didn't allow him to hide or back down.

"No, that's good… That's normal. I get what you're saying. Wanting more is never a bad thing… If we were all perfectly happy, then there'd be no reason to dream… It keeps us wanting…" Sage commented, having similar thoughts to Kendall's. To many, she may have a wonderful life, but it ruined her, and now she had to put the pieces back together by herself. It was a difficult process, that was still in progress, but wanting more is what made her leave the dangerous path she was on…

"And wanting is a good thing?" Kendall wondered, looking at her and wishing she had all the answers while she gave him the same exact expression. In the last two days, he had found himself wanting a torrent of new things, and he was rejecting every single one of them out of fear and guilt, but maybe he should have been revaluating his choices. Maybe he should have focused on the difference between wanting and needing, and maybe he should be a little selfish every once in a while, or he'd end up hating the world.

"It can't be all bad," Sage confessed nervously, almost sorry that she couldn't comfort him with a definite response, but he took her words with an appreciative smile, thankful that someone understood him despite not being able to understand himself.

They stood in silence again. It was comfortable like the last time, but this one held more meaning. They were both thinking about their past, present, and future; wondering where they'd end up. A strong wave rolled in several hundred yards away from shore, sending the excess water rushing at their knees. Kendall didn't want to move, enjoying the way he and Sage braved the current together with no one else in the area around them. They felt like the only two people in Malibu. He reached into his pocket for his phone, noticing a mushy text from Jo with several hearts. He only glanced at it quick enough to make sure he wasn't still in the doghouse, and then he chucked it the short distance to Sage's blanket so it was safe from the water, and he immediately forgot about his drama with Jo altogether.

"What's your goal for the summer?" Sage asked suddenly, causing him to look at her in disbelief when she intrigued him again.

"To not work?" he snickered slightly, not thinking that he needed to have a goal, but she was serious, only grinning a little when she caught him off guard. He inched closer to her, not sure if he used the force of the wave as an excuse to take a step to his left or if it actually did carry him there naturally.

"Mine's to forget about the life I had and start building a new one. I want…. I want to have fun for myself, and be who I was meant to be. For these two months, none of the old shit matters," she smiled cheerfully, appearing thrilled by the idea alone. It made Kendall speculate about what she had been through to make her look for such an extreme change, but he decided to save it for another day. They had plenty of afternoons ahead of them.

"Yours is better… I'm stealing it," he declared playfully, taking another step sideways so that his hand could almost brush hers if he let it, but he held himself back as she laughed lightly, the beautiful sound carrying in the wide space around them and over the sound of the ocean lapping against the bluffs.

"How about we share it? Do it together?" she suggested happily, turning her body fully to face his while he did the same.

"Cool, stress-free summer full of fun… Together?" he smirked, stretching his hand out between them. She grinned right back, and, if you asked him, Kendall would never admit that it made him a little weak in the knees. He'd just blame it on the waves pushing his legs.

"Together," Sage agreed effortlessly, lifting her own hand to meet Kendall's in a firm hand shake.

The simple contact had them both buzzing, but their old lives, the ones that still controlled them, made them push it to the back of their minds. They couldn't give into that feeling. They stared at one another for a moment, both of their easy smiles falling into content expressions of awe.

Kendall broke the reoccurring trance with a mischievous glint in his eye and a swift tug to her arm, sending them both crashing into the saltwater with a fit of giggles as they started to shove one another and dunk each other gently. Kendall enjoyed the casual touching he allowed himself to take part in, and Sage soaked in every second of it too. They both didn't realize how much they needed it; how much they _**wanted**_ it.

It was okay to want things.

They wanted an epic summer of joy together, and they'd get that. They'd get a whole lot more too, but they would have to lose some things along the way.

* * *

It was two weeks later, and Kendall and Sage had spent every day together. They would meet each morning or afternoon on the beach or at her house, where they often decided to stay either way. The two friends would watch movies, play games, and chat about anything. There was no stress, just like they promised, and, so far, it was one of their favorite summers in a long time. Kendall got to experience California like he hadn't before with relaxation and no music producers screaming their heads off, and Sage got to experience it differently as well. She was used to being in larger groups of overly sexed teenagers who only cared about their next big break or if Mommy and Daddy would buy their new designer clothes. That was her old life, and it was out of control and damaging. This new one was already better. It was calm, and she was spending time with someone genuine, friendly, and not looking for anything from her other than company. It was the perfect friendship between two equal people that could understand each other without much effort.

That was why Kendall was keeping it a secret. At least, that's what he told himself.

He'd been keeping Sage separate from James, Carlos, and Logan no matter how much he wanted them to meet. He was scared to think about what would happen; what it would mean. When it was just him and Sage, they got to be in their own little world that only they shared. He constantly felt guilty when he went home at night, but he wasn't sure if it was because he left Sage alone or because he hadn't thought about Jo once until he laid his restless head against his pillow. Either way, he felt selfish with Sage. He wanted to keep her disconnected from the boys because he feared the possible results of merging this new life with the one he was already living. One of them may shatter, and, even though it's only been two weeks, he felt like he might stop breathing if Sage was suddenly absent from his daily routine.

All of that quickly changed when his nosy brothers started asking the right questions, and he kicked himself for being a terrible liar. As a seventeen-year-old boy, shouldn't it just come naturally to him? He couldn't catch a break.

"So, Kendall, are you actually gonna grace us with your presence at our get-together today, or are you gonna find something more worthy of your time?" James asked jokingly, smirking at his blonde friend while dumping a bag of chips into a large bowl.

It was noon, and the boys of Big Time rush had invited their friends from the Palm Woods over for a day for some fun in the sun. A few of the guests had started filing in, but it was mostly just the guys in the house with a couple stray people gathering by the pool beyond the wide opening adjacent to the kitchen.

Kendall rolled his eyes, opening the fridge for Logan when he came over with his hands full of hamburger patties for lunch later on.

"I think I can fit you losers into my schedule," Kendall assured James with a sarcastic tone, holding a bottle of ketchup in confusion when it was merely shoved into his chest by Logan, who was shifting the fully stocked refrigerator's contents to accommodate his new purchase.

Carlos laughed good-naturedly, hopping up on the counter beside James and stealing the bowl of chips right out from underneath the party planner, earning a glare and a slight punch to his shoulder as he munched on the snack with enthusiasm.

"Where do you go all the time anyway? Are you a secret agent now? Do you fly out to save the world by day and sleep here as a rising pop star by night?" Carlos wondered excitedly, not fully joking and hoping for something interesting from Kendall, who just shook his head.

"I'm just hanging around, enjoying the change of scenery," Kendall shrugged, swallowing nervously. It wasn't exactly a lie. In fact, it was pretty damn close to the truth, but he was skating on thin ice because of the direction their questions were heading.

"So, you hang out all by yourself?" Logan lifted a dark eyebrow, reappearing from behind the fridge door and looking at his friend curiously while he took the ketchup bottle back and stuffed it inside.

"N-No… I, uh, I'm usually with a f-friend," Kendall scratched the back of his neck, tugging his hair in one short, painful burst as a punishment to himself for his lack of the ability to even fib smoothly. Why his confidence always left him at the worst times, he'd never know.

"You made a new friend?" Carlos asked, having looked slightly bummed by the fact that Kendall didn't have a tale of adventure but perking back up at the actual story.

"Yup," Kendall kept his answer quick, smiling fervently and internally cheering when he sounded convincing and he didn't necessarily have to elaborate. He spun around, taking a deep and calming breath as he grabbed a glass out of the cabinet above his head.

"What's their name?"

He froze when James spoke, muttering curses as he firmly set the cup on the counter. He looked over to his friends, noticing that they were all standing in a line with their arms crossed, knowing he was hiding something. Kendall gave up the fight with a slight tilt of his head.

"Her name is Sage," he didn't stutter, resigned to the fact that he couldn't hide her anymore, and waited for the response he was anticipating.

"_**Her?**_"

The trio yelled simultaneously, making him take a small step back before recovering and pouring himself a drink; casually tipping a bottle of fruit punch over the glass while avoiding eye contact.

"Yeah, she's got lady parts. Sage Henderson: about yay high…" Kendall sipped his juice, holding a hand a little below the level of Carlos' height and continuing nonchalantly, "… blonde, the daughter of Elliot and Julia Henderson, and our neighbor," he finished with a shrug, hoping that, if he kept things simple, then the guys' reactions would reflect that too, but they very rarely fell into his traps since they started living together.

"We have a neighbor?" Logan asked, scrunching his face up and thinking that he never saw any movement from the house beside theirs.

"Her dad is rich and famous?" James inquired happily with shiny hazel eyes, thinking about all of the movies he could possibly star in.

"You can't be just friends with a girl," Carlos laughed at the idea, looking at Kendall as if he felt like the smart one for once.

"Yes you can," Kendall retorted defensively, ignoring the other two's questions while placing his cup down and pressing his hip against the countertop that the Latino hopped onto again. "Logan is just friends with Camille," he offered lamely, already realizing the weakness in his argument.

"Nope, doesn't count. They had a romantic history first. Plus, did it slip your mind that Logie's female _**friend**_ pretty much sexually assaulted him in the tunnel of love at the carnival a couple weeks ago?" James interjected briskly, smirking knowingly at Kendall, which made the blonde's stomach turn. He recovered quickly, though; refusing to let anything mess up his important friendship with Sage.

"He kinda has a point, Kendall…" Logan added sheepishly, getting embarrassed and searching around for Camille, thinking she'd appear any second.

"Well, no one's doing anything sexual between me and Sage. We're just really good friends. We get along, and it's fun to hang out. Stop trying to porn it up!" Kendall whined, not sure if he was fighting his friends or his own caged thoughts that he hid away and refused to acknowledge.

Logan grimaced at his vocabulary and grammar.

"We really need to get back to school," he mumbled towards James, but, as usual, his worried words were disregarded.

"Since you two are so platonic…" James grinned, sending it in Logan's direction to get an approving jerk of his head from the boy for his accurate terminology, "… why don't you invite your friend, who is a girl, over to the party? Go get her. I'd love to meet Sage. Wouldn't you love to meet Sage, Carlitos? Logan?" he spoke in a peppy tone, still keeping his eyes glued to Kendall in a silent challenge.

Kendall snorted, sending a glare at the pretty boy when Logan and Carlos nodded in agreement, all of them teaming up to see exactly what the situation was between him and Sage.

"Fine! Whatever, it doesn't matter either way. I'm gonna go ask her if she wants to come up here…" he declared angrily, storming off dramatically and muttering, "… You guys are so fuckin' immature. I can totally have a female friend…"

Kendall walked past the pool, slowing his pace when he was out of the boys' line of sight. He inhaled the ocean air, trying to stop the breaths from trembling with his nerves. What had he gotten himself into? He wasn't sure what he was hoping for, or how he thought he could keep Sage all to himself, but he felt anxious about bringing her to his friends. He didn't know what it would mean, and wondered what would change. He was also still a little pissed from their accusations. Starting down the steps, Kendall was pretty sure he had everything under control.

"_Where r u? :) -K" _

He sent the message to Sage quickly, still strolling casually down the stairs towards the beach, for some reason just knowing she had to be there. She rarely stayed in her house unless he was with her or she was sleeping, saying that she got better inspiration for her scripts in the fresh air with background noise. The large, expensive house was eerily silent without his company.

"_On the sand btwn our houses… Can't believe u actually asked… usually u stalk me close enough to knw where I am 24/7 ;) -S"_

Kendall rolled his eyes when he read her text, smiling fully at the fact that she could tease him even when he wasn't in front of her. It was how they worked. She challenged him, and he challenged her, but it was all in good fun. It made every conversation entertaining.

"_Shut up :P -K"_

He smirked, hurrying to step onto the sand and immediately taking a sharp right. It was only a few seconds before he saw her, his eyes going right for her like she was a homing beacon in the middle of the beach. Sage was dressed in sneakers, small lavender shorts, and a black tank top, and she sat on a white hoodie laying beneath her on the sand. Her blonde hair was clipped loosely to the back of her head, which was turned down as she scribbled furiously in her notebook; probably her fourth one in the two weeks he'd known her. Kendall grinned approaching her from behind as quietly as he could. He thought he had successfully snuck up on her, noticing that his shadow wasn't even visible in front of them, but she laughed as she slowed her hand but didn't stop writing.

"Hi, Kendall…" she didn't look up, but he almost heard her smile; having grown accustomed to all of her traits and mannerisms in only a little more than fourteen days, which were all spent with her.

"How do you always freakin' do that?" Kendall whined playfully, plopping down beside her after kicking her messenger bag out of his way. He gave her a pout, leaning back on his hands.

Sage shrugged, unsure of how she always knew when he was around, and turned to meet his eyes while keeping a tight grip on her pen.

"Why do you always insist on trying to surprise me when you know it's not gonna work? You're setting yourself up for failure. You're quite the masochist," she smirked, poking the pen into his bare calf teasingly before going back to observing her notebook.

"I just wanna see what you're writing. You never let me look!" he complained, trying to keep his pout even though he just wanted to smile like an idiot when he was beside her. Sage pretended to ignore him as she wrote another sentence down. "Can I see, _**please**_?" Kendall clasped his hands together, sitting up and spinning around so that he was facing her with his legs folded beneath him.

He already knew she was going to fight him on it, but that didn't mean he'd ever stop trying. Her writing was the only thing she ever avoided talking about directly other than details of her past, and he wanted to know why. He wanted to know everything about her that he could. Sage was his obsession. No matter how much he tried to deny it or how much he thought it was crazy, it was still a fact, and he didn't even know that she felt the same way. Neither one of them were willing to go beyond what they had. They weren't going to jump off that cliff.

"Nope," she announced simply, smacking her pink lips together for emphasis, which only made Kendall lean closer to her. Although, he didn't even realize that he did it.

"Why not?" he wondered genuinely, wiping the frown from his face as he proposed a serious question, but she was still grinning.

"Because this..." Sage stopped, jotting another note, "Is rated… R…" she kept smiling, not meeting his eyes, and he instantly smirked at her wickedly.

"So, you're gonna be a porn writer?" he asked suggestively, raising an eyebrow at her, knowing that they were still joking around.

"Why? Would you watch it?" she shot right back, clicking her pen and turning to look at him conspiratorially, mischief in her emerald eyes.

"Depends who's in it…" Kendall widened his smirk, staring at her like he was going to wait for her comeback and implying that he may or may not enjoy it if she herself was the star of such a film.

They were always pushing each other's boundaries, trying to see who would back out first. Without really knowing it, they were testing the limits of their relationship and treading on dangerous ground.

Right before Sage could open her mouth, Kendall lunged for the notebook with a chuckle; halfheartedly attempting to get his hands on in. As she wrestled with him, Sage giggled and slapped at his hands while trying to keep one of hers wrapped securely around her notes. They fought weakly, both secretly enjoying the way their skin made contact at various times with small sparks of electricity, and then Kendall found himself hovering over her fully.

The notebook was almost completely forgotten, squished between their warm bodies. They were both breathing heavily as the battle slowed to a halt. Kendall was laying on top of her with his hands on either side of her head in the sand and his legs straddling her waist. Sage licked her lips, and he had to remind himself not to lean in to close the miniscule distance between them for a kiss.

He had to remind himself about Jo.

Kendall already had a girlfriend.

However, he didn't move off of Sage. They stared, waiting for something that they couldn't understand. Kendall didn't know if he wanted her to speak first, almost testing her to see if she'd push him away. Sage really didn't want him to go either, but she also didn't want to get him into trouble or disregard Jo's feelings… She'd been disrespected like that before…

"If we, uh… If we don't stop, we're only gonna be a few steps from acting out scene four," Sage aimed for humor, but her words were still shaky, her composure dropping for one of the first times since Kendall had met her.

"Right…" he whispered, still a little surprised by the fact that he didn't leap off of her the second reality pushed its way back in. He only reluctantly sat up, disconnecting their abdomens and straddling her for another moment with a longing look in his eyes before finally lifting his leg over her to move away.

Sage pretended not to notice; pretended that she didn't have the same exact expression, and raised her back off of the sand with a casual smile. She reached over for her bag, slipping her notebook and pen inside so there wouldn't be a chance for anymore impromptu wrestling matches, and then she lifted a hand up and unclipped her hair to shake the sand out. Kendall watched as it cascaded loosely over her pale shoulders and thanked God when she put her hoodie in the bag along with the clip, enjoying her hair when it was down. It made him want to touch it and run his fingers through the naturally blonde locks, and that thought also made him huff out a breath of annoyance at himself. He had to stop thinking things like that. It was wrong. He knew it.

Then, if he's such a wholesome guy, why does he keep partaking in the small fantasies? He was still a virgin. He hadn't slept with Jo in all of their months together, not even considering it seriously more than once or twice, but, even when he had known Sage for just those first 48 hours, he wanted nothing more than to be intimate with her and feel her against him; like his hands might never stop shaking if he couldn't touch her.

"Okay, back to the reason I came out here in the first place…" Kendall donned a chipper voice, going back to their easy exchange of words and pushing away the thoughts that plagued him every night.

"Oh, you mean it wasn't just to steal my ideas or invade my privacy?" Sage asked in mock shock, smirking and thanking him internally for shifting the conversation.

"No, I was saving that for later," Kendall rolled his eyes, laughing lightly as he continued, "I wanted to ask you to come up to my house." He looked at the building above the rocks and then back at her.

"Your house?" Sage was caught off guard. She wasn't against the idea, but they had never spent time there together. They were always around town, at the beach, or at her place.

"Yeah, we're having a little party right now, and I want you to meet my friends… Will you?" he ended nervously, suddenly feeling like he'd be upset if she wouldn't go.

"Sure," she answered him easily, not liking the way he got uncomfortable and anxious and wanting to calm him down as soon as possible. She felt like she needed to protect him and like she wanted him to protect her. They were a team.

"Great, come on," Kendall smiled cheerfully, hopping up and holding out a hand for her to take so he could pull her into a standing position. He bent down to grab her bag, positioning himself closely in front of her and placing it over her shoulder. He grinned as he swept her hair back away from the strap, inwardly dancing when he got to touch her once again and then biting his own tongue as punishment for doing it.

Kendall almost reached for her hand, feeling the need to hold it, and he even saw her fingers twitch like she was going to do it too, but then they both turned at the same time to make the trek to his house without another word spoken.

He searched for the guys immediately, sticking by Sage's side as he scanned the suddenly increasing crowd. Most of the Palm Woods residents had arrived.

"I'm gonna go look for James, Carlos, and Logan. Stay here… Oh! I'll introduce you to Camille while you wait. She's a very… interesting… actress," Kendall smirked, pulling her towards the zany brunette standing in a small group of teenagers with a cup of punch in her hand. He didn't want to leave Sage alone, but he also wanted to talk to his friends before they met her. He felt like he needed to lay down a few disclaimers because he refused to let them embarrass him.

"They're all interesting, Kendall… At least all of the _**good**_ ones are," Sage spoke happily, seeming like she was looking forward to meeting Camille. With her family business, Kendall figured she had probably met plenty of actors.

"Camille, this is my new friend, Sage Henderson. Can you two girls chat while I go look for my bandmates?" he asked charmingly. Camille immediately widened her eyes and smiled excitedly.

"Is your dad Elliot Henderson?" she leaned into Sage with anticipation.

"Yup, that'd be him," Sage replied politely, like she had found herself in this situation hundreds of times, and she probably had.

"That's awesome! That movie he worked on last year…"

Kendall chuckled as Camille started ranting and Sage listened closely, amused by the young actress. He gripped Sage's forearm lightly in a silent goodbye that she acknowledged with a nod while still trying to listen to the bubbly girl in front of her, and then Kendall moved into the house. It was only a second before he spotted the guys all standing in the kitchen where he had left them a little earlier. It was as if they were waiting for him.

"Dude, did your new girly friend reject you?" James teased, noticing that Kendall was alone.

"No, she's talking to Camille by the pool," Kendall declared matter-of-factly, sending James a glare as he gestured towards the two girls beyond the open doors.

"She's really hot… There's no way that you can only be friends with her," Carlos maintained his stance, observing Sage, which almost made Kendall want to hit his best friend. That thought was a little sobering, but he pushed it away with a smile.

"She's aesthetically pleasing," Logan murmured, scoping her out as quickly as he could before focusing on the cup he held in his hands. That made Kendall want to laugh, knowing that only Logan could blatantly check a hot girl out and then feel guilty about it. He didn't even have a girlfriend.

"We kinda thought she might be ugly since you were hiding her," James explained their shock, still raking his eyes over her. Kendall scowled at his comment, but didn't stop him from saying anything else. "She's single, right? If you two are just _**friends**_, then you wouldn't mind if I asked her out, would you?" he asked, sharing a look with Logan and Carlos, who had discussed this earlier with him. It was part of their plan to see exactly what was going on inside their blonde friend's head, but Kendall didn't notice their scheming. He only heard James' words.

His eyes widened, his mouth hanging open before he snapped it shut. That was not how he thought this meeting would go. He didn't want James to go out with Sage because… He really didn't even know why, but the idea of it made his throat tighten and his fists clench. However, he couldn't oppose it. James was a good guy, and Sage was a good friend that wasn't seeing anyone. Why should he stop them from dating? It wasn't his place to control that, but he couldn't hinder the feeling of possessive anger rolling through his spine.

"Do whatever you want, James… Just be nice," Kendall ground his teeth together in a forced smile, turning and locking eyes with Sage effortlessly and softening his expression into one of actual contentment.

After he waved her over with final gazes of caution at each of his friends, Sage nodded at Camille, said something that made the brunette laugh, and then walked into the house. Kendall took her bag for her, staring her right in the eyes with some sort of communication that he didn't actually know the meaning of. He might have been silently warning Sage about James. He may have been asking her not to reciprocate any flirting, or maybe he was trying to make sure she was okay with meeting his friends. No matter what the look meant, she returned it with a soft smile, like she knew he was upset about something. Even if he was anxious about James, he wanted her and his brothers to get along. He wanted her to fit in with them like Jo didn't…

When did he start comparing her to Jo?

"Guys, this is Sage," Kendall announced comfortably after relaxing from her smile, and placed her bag on the countertop for safekeeping.

"Hi, Sage, I'm James Diamond, Kendall's most handsome friend," James put on the charm right away, reaching his hand out to shake Sage's with a provocative grin that Kendall had seen countless times before. It was always used on the girls he picked up, and they never declined.

"Yeah, Kendall's said a lot about you guys. Logan and Carlos, right?" she looked over to the other two boys happily after shaking hands with James, not spending too much of her time on the tall boy despite his advances.

"Hi! It's nice to meet you," Carlos waved from where he stood, acting just as sunny as he always did, making Sage bite back a giggle.

"Kendall has said almost nothing about you," Logan admitted confidently, eyeing his secretive friend and getting a death glare back.

"But we can remedy that… What do you say, Sage? You wanna go out with me sometime? People say I'm a catch," James laid it on thick, taking another step forward and placing his fingers over hers on the counter top. He was focusing on Sage completely while Logan and Carlos watched for Kendall's reaction, but it wasn't subtle anyway.

"James, I love you, man, but Sage is a friend, and I wouldn't really want to subject her to your dating life… He's not very good at monogamy," Kendall dramatically frowned, like he was breaking bad news. He rushed to Sage's side, wrapping a protective arm around her shoulders.

James grinned at his friend's response, glancing at Carlos and Logan with a knowing look and unfazed by Kendall's negative remark. They had gotten what they wanted. They knew how Kendall felt about Sage.

"What if I don't care about monogamy?" Sage raised an eyebrow at Kendall, teasing him as she almost immediately took her hand away from James' and automatically leaned into Kendall's side, but the blonde's eyes grew fearful at her words.

He didn't catch her tone. They were always playful, but the mere thought of her dating James destroyed all of his nerves with fear and confusion.

"Kendall, I'm joking…" Sage informed him softly, concern lacing her features as she focused on him entirely, reaching up to squeeze the hand that was hanging by her neck when he only stood there quietly.

"I- I knew that… I was just letting you think that I thought you were skanky," he recovered, grinning and pulling her into a loose headlock, getting a punch to his ribs when he wouldn't let her go.

"I like her. She makes Kendall nervous… Not much does that," Carlos declared, bumping shoulders with Logan for support.

"You're definitely a rarity, Sage," Logan agreed, crossing his arms like he was studying the couple for an experiment. He appeared intrigued by their interactions; the way they touched and smiled like it was the easiest thing in the world.

"I think I'm gonna take that as a compliment," Sage grinned, smacking Kendall's hand away when he still tried to tickle her side after their small scuffle.

Logan nodded, wanting her to think of it in no other way. He liked her… He liked Kendall and Sage together, but he wasn't going to say it. Kendall's opinion is what mattered, not his. James and Carlos fell silent too as the entire trio studied the new pair in front of them with knowing smiles.

"You guys are acting creepy today. Come on, Sage, let's go get some air while we wait for them to go back to normal… It might be awhile," Kendall laughed, dropping his arm from Sage's shoulders in favor of placing his hand on the small of her back and guiding her towards the doors with a curious look at his brothers, who all just shrugged and offered no explanation.

"Something bad is gonna happen, isn't it?" Carlos spoke first once the two blondes were out of earshot, sighing nervously as he rested his palms on the countertop.

"I'd say we're absolutely going to have an issue on our hands," Logan concurred with a sigh of his own, still keeping his arms crossed while they continued to observe Kendall and Sage.

The two teens were at the pool, constantly talking to each other with smiles of joy as they slipped off their shoes and sat on the edge with their legs in the water. Sage said something that made Kendall laugh and press against her, and neither one of them moved from the contact. They stayed glued together, occasionally turning their heads to see each other while they spoke softly.

"This is more than an issue… It's fuckin' life changing. He _**loves**_ her!" James exclaimed, trying to keep his voice down as he waved a hand towards the pool and looked at Carlos and Logan as if he was daring them to say otherwise.

He was the first to say it out loud; to acknowledge its existence. It was said before Kendall and Sage even realized that it was there, hiding underneath the surface of sweet smiles and innocent touches.

"Don't jump to conclusions…" Logan warned his excited friend, biting his lip like he thought it wasn't all that insane.

"Look at him, Logan… He's so happy and calm… He hasn't been like that since… ever. He's never looked like that with a girl," Carlos smiled fondly, finding the sight of his best friend in love touching.

"They're made for each other," James agreed with the sentiment, grinning at the pair and feeling happy for them.

"Kendall's got Jo," Logan reminded them quickly when he felt himself getting sucked in too.

"But he's not happy with her… They're arguing and he's miserable all the time…" Carlos submitted a counterpoint, only tearing his eyes away from Kendall and the new girl for a second to see James nodding.

"My vote's for Sage," he announced proudly, raising his head up and down in approval when he could still see the couple talking intimately at the pool's edge.

"I'm backing her too. Jo's mean," Carlos sided with James, his face scrunching up with disgust when he mentioned Jo. Between her nagging Kendall and inserting her unwanted opinions here and there, she hadn't made the greatest impression on the boys.

"You guys have known Sage for two minutes," Logan rolled his eyes but still appeared to not want to fight them.

"It doesn't matter," Carlos assured him easily, knowing that it was irrefutable.

Sage was meant to be in their lives. She was supposed to be with Kendall.

"It's not our choice anyway," Logan mumbled, seeming sad at the idea of not getting involved. "He's got to do it on his own, and we can't influence him… It wouldn't be right… Let Kendall take care of this by himself. He'll make the right choice…" he sounded sure of it, his jaw setting in determination as he continued to watch Sage and Kendall lean against each other casually.

"Which is…?" James wondered, raising a perfect eyebrow at Logan.

"Whatever makes him the happiest… and we'll support him," he explained with a small nod of his head.

"Even if he stays with Jo?" Carlos asked cautiously, turning away to lock eyes with his friends. Kendall ending up with Jo was not the outcome they wanted for this summer. Logan frowned, but nodded anyway.

"Even if he stays with Jo."

They knew that Kendall was the type to take chances, but not ones at the expense of others. It was guaranteed that he didn't love Jo, but that didn't mean that he never cared about her. She's his girlfriend, and that means something to Kendall. He wouldn't give that up for Sage unless he was certain, or if he just decided to throw all caution to the wind, which was rare because of his tendency to make plans. However, Sage wasn't a predictable presence in his life. She just appeared, and they didn't know how he'd handle that.

The boys had to wait anxiously by the sidelines to see if Kendall would take the biggest risk of his life for the biggest reward.

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**A/N: STAY TUNED FOR PART TWO (the last part of "A Drop in the Ocean").. which will be the SMUT ;D :D :D It will be posted on Friday as "chapter two" of this, so "story alert" if you think you may forget and don't wanna miss it :)  
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**Please tell me what you guys think about this! I kinda love this different world, and we'll be seeing that, no matter what universe they're in, KAGE is meant to be ;D **

**PLEASE REVIEW! :D Anonymous are enabled :)  
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	2. A Drop in the Ocean Part Two

**A/N: Here's PART TWO of ADITO :D I enjoy how it came out. I hope you do too :)**

**The song that inspired the title is "A Drop in the Ocean" by Ron Pope (take a listen :D It doesn't go with the plot entirely, but the song is beautiful… I've used some of the lyrics in this chapter. I don't own the song :)**

**(Disclaimer: I don't own Big Time Rush, but I do own "Sage Henderson" :)**

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**"A Drop in the Ocean"**** (PART TWO)- Kendall Knight and Sage Henderson meet during summer vacation in Malibu. They are instantly bonded, but there's a problem. Kendall is dating Jo… (set during **Big Time Beach Party**)**

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"Can I hang out here? My friends abandoned me," Kendall was pouting dramatically when Sage opened her door. It was a chilly night, so he was wearing jeans and a dark blue hoodie with his hands stuffed deep inside the pockets and his whole body was rocking as he pushed forward and back on his heels.

"Stop being dramatic…They invited you and you declined, right?" Sage smirked, using her hand to lean her weight into the doorknob as she raised an eyebrow at Kendall. If the boys were gone at this time of night, she knew that must've meant that they went to a club.

It had been a full month of friendship between Sage and Kendall, and over two weeks with James, Carlos, and Logan added to the mix. She learned pretty quickly that Kendall's idea of fun wasn't clubbing with the overly rambunctious Carlos and James when he had better things to do, and she couldn't help but feel a little flattered that spending time with her was one of those "better things".

"I'm neither confirming nor denying that," Kendall responded cheerfully to her assumption, happily hopping over the threshold when she moved aside with a chuckle and let him in. Sage shut the door and spun around to follow Kendall towards the large kitchen close by.

"Where's Logan?" she asked thoughtfully, not believing that her newly acquired logical friend would go wherever it was that James and Carlos traveled to. Kendall rolled his eyes and headed for the fridge, taking out a can of soda like he lived there, which the blonde girl secretly loved, and cracked it open as he answered her.

"He got into a debate with James about flirting or some shit, so he went out with them to prove a point," he laughed along with Sage, sliding into a stool with her beside him and handing the can over to her so she could take a sip.

"He's gonna be bitching later, isn't he?" she assumed lightheartedly, thinking about the clubs in the area and knowing for a fact that they aren't places Logan would be happy in.

Sage had spent enough time with all of Big Time Rush over their stretch of vacation to know them and understand their odd interactions. Kendall was instantly thrilled when she fit in so well. She could keep up and handle their crazy dynamic with an easygoing attitude and smile.

"I have no doubt about it… You should come over when they get home so there's a buffer… James is kind of a douche bag when he gets to gloat," Kendall grinned, taking the soda back from her and swirling the can around as he waited hopefully for her to agree. He loved spending all of his time with her.

"Okay, I'll co-"

"Sage, we need more towels in the bathroom upstairs…" a shaggy-haired brunette walked in, interrupting Sage while messing with a t-shirt in his hands and wearing nothing else other than jeans and sneakers. He stopped short in the large archway connecting the kitchen to the foyer and living room when he spotted Kendall, now holding the clothing with clenched fists as his expression darkened. His brown eyes stared at the two blondes sitting in the room closely beside each other.

Kendall swallowed harshly, his gaze darting back and forth between Sage and the shirtless stranger. It was like his worst nightmare was happening right in front of him before he even knew that it existed. Sage was dating someone, and it hurt more than it should have. Something like that is not supposed to bother him at all. He has no right to be disappointed or shaken up. Sage is free to do what she wants, but Kendall was almost letting himself wish that she wanted him. The abrupt jealously flaming in his gut was confusing and sudden enough to make him panic.

"I d-didn't know th-that you had company…" his eyes drifted nervously around the room; doing anything but meeting Sage's as he hopped up from his seat. She immediately followed him, moving to stand in front of the boy with concern.

"Are you alright? Why aren't you looking at me?" she spoke softly and stepped closer to him before he could back away, placing her hand on his chin to force his head towards her with a gentle tug.

From day one, he always made eye contact, and Sage liked it. The gesture was warm, and he could be trusted. It was easy to see when he was thrown off, and it made her upset just to think that something might be wrong.

"I don't want to bother you," Kendall bit his tongue, swearing that he could taste copper as he tried to calm the beating of his heart as he focused on the way her fingers felt on his face before they drifted away when she let her hand fall back to her side.

"You could never bother me… My brother was just leaving…" Sage assured him sweetly, smiling as she looked over to the teenager in the doorway.

"Your brother?" Kendall almost laughed in relief and wanted to hug the boy across the room. Sage nodded, gesturing over to her sibling.

"This is Dustin…" she started, bringing the attention back to her brother. He was still standing there watching them and only moved when he realized that the duo was looking at him. Before he pulled his shirt over his head, he blinked a few times while listening to his sister continue, "… Dustin, this is Kendall Knight."

"Hey," Kendall offered a friendly wave and a slight jolt of his head in the boy's direction.

"Isn't that nice…?" Dustin ignored Kendall's greeting and responded to Sage's words instead. He grinned right at Kendall like he was challenging him; testing him to see if he was bigheaded enough to fight back or be equally as rude. Sage had mentioned her new friend before, and Dustin, being a protective big brother, was instantly on guard about a guy with a girlfriend hanging around his baby sister no matter how much Sage insisted that they were just really good friends.

Dustin continued to speak, ignoring the way Sage was threatening to kill him with her eyes.

"I'm gonna head out now… I'll be back later," he walked over and kissed his little sister's forehead, "Is _**he**_ staying here?" he glared at Kendall, who flinched from the look. He had hardly said a word to the guy, yet, somehow, he had made a bad impression.

"Yes, Dustin, as long as he wants… Now, go… I love your annoying ass, but a few hours straight was more than enough sibling bonding for a decade," Sage joked and chuckled, shoving her bad-mannered family member only to be pushed back with a laugh. Kendall watched the exchange with a grin, missing Katie a little bit when he noticed their banter. It was also the first time he saw Dustin look relaxed in the short moments he had known him.

"Your new self-confidence is kind of a pain in my ass. You were easier to handle before," Dustin whined dramatically, trying to ruffle her hair only to be swatted away.

His words made Sage's face change, and, even though she tried to cover it up, Kendall easily viewed the flicker of pain and regret in her eyes. He didn't like the feeling portrayed on her. She didn't deserve anything but good in her life.

"Yes, your life is terrible… bye!" Sage pushed her rowdy brother towards the door, knowing he had somewhere to be. He was only in town for the weekend visiting friends and checking in on her, and then he'd have to head back to New York.

"Be good," Dustin sighed, giving in to the insistent girl and stepping in to give her a big hug. He held her tight and stared over her shoulder at an uncomfortable looking Kendall.

Dustin was analyzing him like he was attempting to read his mind or learn everything he could from a single glance. Kendall had never been a jerk, but Sage's brother looked at him like it was the standard in their lives. Kendall was starting to think Dustin could see something that he couldn't, but maybe he just assumed there was something going on because he doesn't know him. Kendall couldn't blame him for being protective, but he would never hurt Sage and the mere idea of it offended him enough to cross his arms and stare back in defiance as he moved over to lean against the doorjamb of the foyer.

Kendall thought Sage would have something sassy to say before her brother left, but she just nodded and gave him a reassuring smile as if she were promising to behave, and Kendall almost laughed out loud again. Sage was an honorable girl. He had never seen a bad bone in her body. If anything, she worked hard to shy away from trouble.

"Later, Dude…" Dustin grabbed his keys from the counter behind him and moved past Kendall with a salute and a light bump to his shoulder with his own. It was his form of a warning, which he also served with a last look at Sage, and Kendall rolled his eyes. However, he wasn't sure he that he wouldn't give any guy hanging around Katie the same treatment.

"I'm pretty sure your brother hates me," he announced once Dustin had left completely, trying to keep his tone light but not able to hold back a frown at the door the boy had disappeared through.

Kendall hated not being liked. It was one of the things that he thought he was good at; being pleasant and cordial to strangers when necessary. He found himself wondering why he was so desperate for the approval of Sage's family, but he only knew that Dustin was connected to her. He was a part of her, and Kendall wanted everything surrounding her to be perfect.

"He's just protective," Sage shrugged, giving him a small smile of acceptance and shaking her head. She started to move into the living room with Kendall at her heels, following her instinctively as he thought about what she had said.

"Of you? You're practically an adult… You're responsible and smart… What's his problem?" Kendall scoffed, almost like he thought Dustin was insulting her.

He didn't enjoy anyone thinking negatively about Sage. Even feeling protective of her over her brother was a dangerous realization. Apparently, he cared for Sage even more than he let himself believe. He had been ignoring it, but now his need to give her security was flashing like a neon sign behind his calm green eyes; where he kept it buried with a cool temperament.

"He knows who I used to be," Sage admitted quietly, biting her lip and staring at the floor when she stopped to face him.

"And who is that?" he wondered, easing into the conversation slowly.

He had wanted to ask her the question ever since the beginning. He knew she was here to change, but he didn't know what that truly meant other than he'd be by her side the whole way. He was trying to let her move at her own pace, and they never pushed each other. It was supposed to be effortless, and they both enjoyed that aspect of their relationship and never wanted to damage it with anything dark, but they also wanted it all. That means they need the truth no matter how bad it is.

"I wasn't a good person, Kendall… You don't really know me, or, at least, you don't know the old me…" she explained nervously, sounding like she expected him to hate her or turn away, but Kendall just stepped closer and softened.

"Tell me who you are, Sage… I want to know."

It was pure honesty, and it had her smiling instantly, but then she remembered not to. It was getting harder to control her emotions around him. Kendall made being happy so easy, but she had to remind her self that he wasn't hers to enjoy. He was taken, but she wished almost every day that it was by her.

"Wait here," Sage muttered after thinking for a moment, trying to focus on their current discussion rather than drifting into the bleak future.

She turned away and disappeared down the hall, and Kendall felt cold when she left; placing his hands into his pockets again while he glued his feet to the ground so he wouldn't follow after her like his instincts always begged him to. Sage reappeared almost as soon as she left, but it still felt like a decade when she was finally in front him again. He smiled and peered down at the shoebox under arm, but she didn't say anything. She just held her hand out to him, and he grinned widely and took it; making his shoulders relax as soon as they were touching.

Without speaking, Sage led him outside. The fire pit was blazing near the pool, and there was a clear view of the full moon high in the sky. Kendall had gotten used to the light pollution of Los Angeles, but it wasn't anywhere near as bad in this small piece of paradise in Malibu. It almost reminded him of the sky in Minnesota, but the sound of the ocean kept his mind in California. As he scanned the beach properties, he could see that all of the surrounding houses were dark; most of the residents out for the night. Now that Dustin was gone, Kendall and Sage were probably the only two on their strip of beach, and the idea of that possibility made them both delighted. It let them keep pretending that their own little world was the only one that existed.

They sat on a bench looping around the fire pit. Sage regrettably took her hand out of his, but their arms still grazed each other's with almost every breath they took because of their close proximity. She placed the box on her lap and lifted the lid, Kendall watching closely; enthralled by the slightest movements.

"I used to be a real mess…" Sage started her story faintly, her voice barely carrying over the crackle of the fire and the movement of the waves below them. Her fingers danced over the edges of the open box after she threw the lid to the ground, but she didn't take any of its contents out. The flames were casting a heavy shadow, and Kendall couldn't see what resided inside yet but could almost make out a few piles of images buried within as Sage continued. "That's why I'm here. I was fucked up, and I needed to stop before it got worse… I was in so much danger, but it almost took me too long to see it… It was like I was plummeting towards earth after I took a wrong turn, and I never paid enough attention to even attempt to stop… Luckily, my eyes opened before I hit the ground and killed myself… I made it out…"

Sage sighed, a soft smile decorating her lips as she slipped into her memories; still staring at the box while she leaned into Kendall for support she didn't know she needed.

"What happened?" Kendall whispered, staying calm for her sake but already feeling fear and sadness for her creeping up inside of him. He wanted to hug her because just her words made his body ache. They had a tone of tragedy and harm that she should have never had to experience.

She was upset and hurt, and he hadn't been there, which almost made him ill. It wasn't logical. He hadn't known her or been a part of her life when that was happening, but he still wished that he was. Kendall wanted to save her… He just couldn't see that he already had…

"It was- just… It was a bunch of things… I made so many bad choices, but it all started with a boy…" she smirked, stopping to look at Kendall while he laughed lightly.

"Doesn't it always?" he nudged her shoulder, happy to see her smiling when he teased her like usual. "So, who's this boy? What did he do? Should I kick his ass?" he sounded like he was joking, but they both knew that he wasn't fully into the banter. It was scary, but he was sure that he'd beat someone for her without a second thought.

"His name is Caleb Glickman," she ignored his question with a grin and started from the beginning, talking about everything she was fighting to ignore and forget. "He was my boyfriend for almost two years… We spent a lot of time together, but it was always under his terms and with his friends. I just assimilated to his life and forgot that I was even supposed to have my own. When he said jump, I didn't ask how high. I just did it and hoped that he'd still love me even if it wasn't up to his standard… I realized really quickly that nothing meets his standards... He doesn't care. He never has, and he never will… Caleb is that type of guy who's nice until he gets in your pants, and then the game changes entirely," Sage laughed bitterly, shaking her head to clear it before digging into the box.

She handed Kendall a small picture of the old her. Sage was dressed in a skimpy outfit. Caleb, a dark-haired teen with an overly confident disposition, had his arms wrapped possessively around her waist, but he wasn't even looking at her. In the photo, she was leaning on him, obviously intoxicated, and he was texting on his phone like she didn't exist. Kendall couldn't believe it. When he was with Sage, she was all he could see, and Caleb didn't even seem to like her; confronting her presence with distaste like it inconvenienced him.

"Wait, you said that I _**wasn't**_ allowed to beat him up, right?" Kendall was still trying to be calm and witty, but both of them sensed the anger. He didn't know Caleb at all, and, for the boy's sake, he prayed that they would never meet.

"Don't worry, he's gone… Well, technically, I was the one who left. He's still being a douche bag without me by his side," Sage assured him weakly, idly sifting through more pictures in the box.

"What made you leave after two years?" he couldn't understand how someone as strong as Sage would tolerate anyone like Caleb for more than a day. It didn't sound like her at all.

"I always wonder why it took so long for me to be strong enough. Sometimes it just seemed easier to stay and not rock the boat… He was verbally abusive, and… physically…" she paused when Kendall stiffened beside her like he was ready to scream or hit something. The picture he held was crushed in the fist he made over his thigh.

It made her want to hold onto him because he cared. Kendall cared about what she had been through. He cared about her opinion. He cared about her wellbeing, and that's so much more than she was ever used to. Sage wanted to latch onto that and hide inside of it, but she controlled herself. She wasn't going to pressure him with her own feelings. He was just an innocent guy that befriended her without really knowing what he was getting himself into, and that made her feel guilty. Kendall had a good life, and she would have wanted to die if she ruined that.

"He only smacked me or pushed me a few times when he was drunk or high… He got out of control easily, and I always seemed to trigger him, especially when I fought him rather than just going along with everything, but I started to see that I have limits…" Sage muttered, looking down and clutching the box in her hand while she waited for Kendall to relax a little bit. It took him a second, but he decided to keep talking for her benefit no matter how much he wanted to run off and find Caleb.

"What d-did he do t-to you?" he choked out between deep breaths and clenched teeth, looking down at the ground before staring at her with concerned eyes.

He had all kinds of terrible images in his head, each one making him sicker than the next. Sage saw the way his body curled and waited for a response, and she quickly smiled softly and placed her hand over his knee; giving it a gentle squeeze for comfort because, even if she was the sad one right now, they were both affected. They fed off of each other's emotions like they were connected mentally.

"He just wasn't good for me… The people in Hollywood are crazy, Kendall… You've seen it," she tilted her head, grinning slightly as she forced her hand off of his leg and leaving them both a little colder despite the fire.

"Yeah, it's quite the funhouse," Kendall agreed with a short chuckle. He had seen a lot of new things since moving to California.

"It's like living in a different reality… For some people, the privileged people, the rules are different because there aren't any… Caleb and our- _**his**_ friends were into the party scene. That meant drugs and alcohol and anything else their brilliant minds wanted to partake in… I was just along for the ride. I was up for anything no matter how dangerous it was as long as Caleb wanted me to do it… I was basically his whore," Sage appeared disgusted with herself, frowning at a new picture in her hands.

Kendall leaned over closely to see it. The photo was of Caleb and Sage with a group of people who were intoxicated on booze or drugs. They hung all over each other like personal space never existed, yet none of them really looked like they cared about the person they were near. No one's eyes were directed at one another. It was a group of strangers. With a final scrutiny of it, Sage bent forward and tossed it into the fire pit, and Kendall took the hint and threw the one he held beside it. They both got a certain joy out of watching Caleb's face burn up.

"What changed? Why are you who you are now?" Kendall wondered, thinking that the girl in the pictures and the girl beside him were like night and day. They were absolutely two different people, and he was glad to know Sage; both the real her and the parts of her past she shared with him.

"Dustin kept telling me to get out while I still had a chance, and I started to listen to him… I argued with Caleb until he got rid of me… I didn't want him to break up with me, though, because I thought I could make him see my side of things if I just tried hard enough, but he didn't care," she stopped with another shake of her head, grabbing a few random pictures out of the box and chucking them into the fire with the others.

Kendall took the initiative to gather some in his own hands and help her dispose of them as she continued her story.

"One night, about three months ago, he told me to come over to his house to party. I figured it would be our usual crowd, but, when I got there, it was just all of his guy friends, who always made me uncomfortable with the way they looked at me like they could have me when I was with my boyfriend… I wanted to leave, and I tried, but Caleb begged me to stay by saying that if I loved him I'd spend time with him… I should have seen that he was manipulating me, but I was always blind with him… I hung around, and he gave me one drink after another until I was plastered… I don't remember what lead up to it, but I found myself in his bedroom, and it wasn't just with Caleb… He let all of his friends in too," Sage's voice got soft and low as she stopped to look at one of the pictures.

Kendall slumped his shoulders, biting his tongue in fear. He kept imagining the worst, and he already felt like he could throw up or cry as he peered over at the photo. It was Sage with a rigid arm around Caleb, and they were in a group of six guys. After taking a moment to relive the past, she threw it into the pit to watch it burn.

"When we were in the room, I was a little confused because of the alcohol. He started to grab at my clothes and whispering for me to behave and have fun because he loved me. He told me to put on a happy face… He wanted me to- he said I was supposed to sleep with his friends too… He kept telling me how they all wanted me and that I was good in bed so I should show off… I only remember crying and shaking my head… I slapped him after he got my shirt off, and his friends laughed when I ran… I wouldn't talk to him after that…" Sage's tone was strained and she rubbed her hands on her sides as if she was trying to feel them or stop them from shaking. Kendall immediately took one of them into his own and held it against his torso tightly.

"That was the last time you saw him, right?" he asked, his voice dark and stoic at the idea of someone using her and forcing her into a dangerous situation, treating her like a cheap slut. Sage was priceless, and she deserved respect and love. The entire thought of using her disgusted him.

"I wish… I told you I was fucked up, Kendall…" she smiled tiredly, and he just pressed her hand even tighter into his own. "I was pissed at him for a few days, but he never texted or called, and I started to miss him. It's stupid, but I felt like I needed him. He was my entire life for years and, without him, I had no one… All of my friends were his friends…"

"I stayed home from school for two weeks, going from angry to depressed, and I kept checking my phone to see if he had called so I could apologize, even though there was nothing to be sorry for… He finally contacted me after a few weeks, and he told me he'd take me back… Things were good after that. He was on his best behavior, but it didn't take long for the true Caleb to creep through again… We were in a VIP room at a local club, and he talked me into doing a bunch of cocaine… It's sad to say that it became normal for me to do that; do drugs without even asking what they were as long as it's what he told me to do. I never even thought about doing them on my own, but, if Caleb was there, I went right for the illegal substances… Maybe I was coping… I don't know… but, later that same night, I found Caleb making out with someone who was supposed to be my friend, Samantha Carson, and his hand was up her skirt… I was furious and told myself how stupid I was for trusting him again… I ran off, and I was so trashed that I wasn't thinking straight… I got in my car to go home, and I crashed within the first ten minutes…"

"The scar," Kendall whispered, thinking back to the first time he saw it after he met her. He had been instantly curious about it, but he never asked. He was now wishing that he had. They wouldn't of had any secrets, but Sage needed to tell him this on her own time.

"You noticed that?" she teased him, raising an eyebrow and pushing her hand against his ribs.

"Yeah, once or twice… maybe…" he admitted nervously, coughing to clear his tight throat. Sage rolled her eyes with a smile and freed her hand from his hold to lift the bottom of her shirt so he could see the mark again. It looked darker in the lack of lighting, and it was hard to see. Kendall didn't even think about stopping himself when he reached a finger forward to trace the line above her hip. They both pretended not to notice the way she shivered at the contact.

"I hit a guardrail and totaled the car. The windshield smashed to bits, and a chunk of glass got me. I fractured my arm and got a few other minor injuries, but that still didn't really stop me… I was in the hospital with my parents and Dustin, and I kept asking if Caleb called… I couldn't handle the idea of my life having to change. It was so scary to start over again, but I had to… He never came to see me even though he knew that he was the reason I ran off… I started to realize that he didn't even care whether I lived or died, and my parents refused to let me get any further into that shit… Dad got me into a homeschooling program so I wouldn't have to see anyone I knew, Mom made me go to a therapist until I talked her into thinking that I was okay, and Dustin watches me as close as he can so I don't' go back to drinking or drugs…."

"You lied to your mom… You're not okay… You should have kept seeing the therapist," Kendall insisted, slightly upset and wanting the best for her. He could see it by her reactions to the whole conversation that she was still affected by the past. He didn't like the way she got lost in it.

"I thought about it, but I felt so uncomfortable admitting how big of an idiot I was… I was damaged and slutty and just so fuckin' weak. I wanted to start over after I realized that I could, and seeing the shrink made me bring up my history all the time. I needed to push it away… I want it to stay behind me, or I'll go running back if I get the chance. It's better to just be who I was meant to be… I want to make my own decisions… I can do it, Kendall. I can think for myself now, without Caleb or therapy helping me, and I'm happier. I can just focus on my writing and not the stupid things that don't matter anymore…" Sage smiled at the thought of her progress, and Kendall calmed down. If she believed in herself, then he could too without a doubt. All that mattered was that she was okay.

"I like you this way… This might sound dumb or out of line, but I'm really proud of you."

Sage laughed and wiped away a tear that threatened to escape from her eyes, and Kendall just smiled brilliantly at her reaction to him. He wrapped a protective arm around her shoulders to smash her tightly against him, not willing to let her go anytime soon. Using his free hand to reach towards her lap, he pulled out the last photo of her and Caleb. It looked like a school dance setting, and they seemed sober as they both stared at the camera. It was from the early days.

"You sure you wanna throw them all out?" Kendall asked cautiously, hesitating to toss it forward.

"Absolutely, I want to get rid of everything from back then. That's not me anymore. Those people aren't' my friends… Technically, you're my first friend," she grinned at him, nodding her head towards the fire. He grinned back at flung the picture into the flames.

"So, I'm the only person that really knows you?" He loved the thought of having Sage all to himself; of making her a part of his life. She nodded happily, and he got an idea as the fire pit burned up her past. "Here, you're gonna need more pictures," he took out his phone and leaned his cheek against hers, making her smile brightly and giggle when he tickled her side under his hand. He captured the image, saving it as his background and sending it to her phone.

"Thank you," Sage looked at him like he was her savior, and it made him feel like he was floating, so he held onto her tighter.

"For what?" he huffed out a breath to make her think she was being ridiculous. He wasn't doing her any favors, because he got an equal high from supporting her.

"For staying… for being here even after…" she waved a hand at the fire. She had expected him to see her differently and walk away once he knew that she wasn't a good person. She was never proud of the things she had done, and Kendall was virtuous and caring from day one. Sage was sure that she didn't deserve to have people like him by her side, but she was never going to push him away.

"I don't care who you were… I just want to know who you are. I don't want secrets between us. We're best friends… I'm glad you felt like you could tell me… I just can't imagine you like _**that**_. You were so…" he bit the inside of his cheek anxiously, unable to form the right words.

"Yeah, I was a lot of things," Sage laughed, finishing for him. "Caleb and me weren't meant to be… We can't all be Kendall Knight and Jo Taylor," she insisted playfully.

Sage had seen him talking to Jo over the phone and texting her occasionally, but, mostly, they don't discuss her because Kendall never brought her up unless it was in passing. Sage was being humorous, thinking that he had a great relationship, but the comment weighed Kendall down. He couldn't just smile and laugh it off. He couldn't lie to Sage, especially after this discussion.

"I'm not sure me and Jo are soul mates."

She rolled her eyes, but stopped when she saw that he wasn't kidding.

"I thought you loved her… You guys have been together for a while," Sage was confused, pulling back so she could see his face more clearly.

"That doesn't mean much, and I never said anything about love… We don't use those words with each other…"

He didn't say "yet" because a future with his current girlfriend was so hard to see.

"Why are you still together, then?" Sage was curious, never having thought anything was wrong between Kendall and Jo, and she didn't enjoy seeing him upset.

"I care about her, but, sometimes, I feel like we don't even get along… We argue a lot. She doesn't like the guys most of the time, and it's just this whole stressful situation when I thought it was supposed to be a great experience. She's my first real girlfriend, and I feel like that's it… We spend all of our time at each other's throats… I feel like I constantly have to bite my tongue and let her trample all over me… We're going nowhere," Kendall explained slowly, unsure of how to put everything. He very rarely discussed his true feelings about his relationship. He was usually too frightened dive into it, but Sage made him feel brave about the one thing that made him weak.

He was ecstatic to have her. Sage made him feel like he could talk without being judged or nervous. They were equals, and he could never experience that with Jo. He couldn't be open and expect it in return. Jo just didn't understand him like Sage did.

"You should talk to her. Maybe you two can work your issues out…" his friend offered optimistically, trying to reassure him with a nod of her head and wide, hopeful eyes.

"Maybe… but let's not worry about it now… She's busy working and I'm here, where I want to be," he brushed the idea off, not able to face it yet, and squeezed Sage tighter against him without realizing it.

She smiled, letting the conversation go because he was uncomfortable, and rested her head on his shoulder while they watched the fire in silence; both thinking about the past and the future. One was over and done with, and the other was frighteningly uncertain. The fear of epic change was enough to make them both ignore what was right in front of them.

* * *

"Are you sure that you're okay with going tonight?" Kendall asked warily, eyeing Sage like he could sense a lie if she tried to trick him.

"You mean, am I still sure since the last time you asked me five minutes ago? Yes, Kendall, stop worrying," Sage smiled softly, being a little playful but aiming for reassurance.

They were lounging in the open sitting area of Griffin's house as they waited for James to finish getting ready for their outing. Logan and Carlos were already dressed and sitting a few yards away at the island in the kitchen playing a game of War with a deck of cards that Carlos had pulled out of thin air; their hands slapping against one another brutally every couple of seconds.

"I can't not worry about you… You're past-" Kendall had started speaking loudly, but lowered his voice so the boys wouldn't hear their discussion, "… You're past makes me think that you shouldn't be at a club with alcohol and seedy people and all that bad crap!" he hissed dramatically, making Sage fight off a laugh until she calmed down.

"I can do this, or I have to at least try… You'll be there… You'll take care of me, right?" she appeared a little weary, thinking about triggers and the lifestyle she used to be a part of, but she was determined to have normal, harmless fun with her newly found and appreciated friends.

"Always," Kendall reached out to caress her forearm, trailing his hand down to lace it with her own and smiling at the fresh black nail polish coating her fingertips.

It matched perfectly with the tight black dress she wore, and he honestly had trouble tearing his eyes away from her. The evening had hardly even begun. As soon as she had showed up at the door dressed in the alluring outfit with sexy heels and slightly waved hair with a touch of dark eyeliner, Kendall grabbed a bottle of water and chugged it down to keep his temperature from rising. He had to keep reminding himself of boundaries, and his respect for them was the only thing stopping him from putting his hands all over her, but he didn't know whose boundaries he was respecting. He wasn't sure if his restraint was for Jo's benefit or Sage's…

As he sat beside her and thought about Sage in the dim, exotic lighting of a nightclub; dancing to a fast-tempo song in the clothes she wore, Kendall was starting to regret agreeing to go out. Although, he was happier every time Sage hung around James, Carlos, and Logan. She was becoming one of them and easily falling into their dynamic with an energetic effort on her part. She seemed to love spending time with them, finding the group entertaining and friendly, and Kendall loved that about her. She cared about his family, and that was part of the reason why he was in this situation.

Sage, being the daughter of a quite famous and wealthy man, had connections around the area. She could get them VIP treatment in a popular club, which James begged her to do, and she immediately complied after seeing how bad he and Carlos craved the experience, which they couldn't seem to get soon enough even though their own fame was rising. They still hadn't made it huge.

Once she got them access to a limo, it was easy to talk Logan into it, and Kendall followed soon after. He agreed because of Sage and Logan. He knew that, if they went too, he wouldn't be the only one there that wasn't crazy like James and Carlos. They were all expecting a night of fun, and Kendall couldn't really complain if Sage was with him.

"What are you all sitting around for? Let's go!" James ran into the room looking perfect and attractive as could be, ready to get as many numbers from as many girls as humanly possible in the next few hours. The other four occupants of the house all rolled their eyes simultaneously at his eagerness. They had been waiting on him for thirty minutes, and now he thought they were holding him back.

"This is gonna be awesome!" Carlos sprinted over to the excited boy and bumped fists with him.

Logan slipped out of his seat with a sigh as Kendall and Sage walked towards the door that the rambunctious duo had just left through.

"We're going to survive this, right? The last time I went out with those two, Carlos threw up on the sidewalk while James stuck his tongue down some girl's throat," he reminded them smartly.

On their last excursion, Carlos had been drinking hard liquor that was offered to him by a group he and James gathered around the last time without even realizing what it was. He was too innocent for his own good, and James always had a bit of tunnel vision when he met a girl he was interested in. This time, they had promised to behave. Carlos wasn't going to accept any drinks from strangers and James would limit himself to flirting without any groping.

"We'll be fine, Logie," Sage slung an arm around his waist, and Kendall felt accomplished when he didn't get jealous. It was okay when she was around his brothers. Sage belonged there.

They all laughed when the limo honked twice.

"We better get going or one of them is gonna come back in and slaughter us," Kendall chuckled, following Sage and Logan out and shutting the door behind him.

The group was hoping for the best, and they had no idea what the night had in store.

* * *

James and Carlos hadn't lied when they promised to be on their best behavior. They were good after calming down once they got past the initial excitement of making it through the door, and they stuck close to their group.

The music pumped through the speakers at a deafening level, and the lights flashed in an erratic rhythm as Kendall and Logan watched it all from their VIP lounge. They sipped on sodas and watched their other friends in amusement.

Sage was dancing with a wild James and Carlos, all laughing every time the Latino attempted a dangerous move despite not wearing his helmet. Kendall couldn't keep his eyes off of her, watching her smile and move to the music like she didn't have a care in the world. She didn't seem affected by the atmosphere at all and hadn't even tried to touch a drink all night. He had danced with her a few times, but mostly excused himself because of the intense feelings threatening to burst through every time they brushed against one another, so he found himself hanging out with Logan late into the night.

"She seems happy… I noticed you were worried earlier," Logan commented over the music, leaning into Kendall so he could hear clearly. The blonde pulled away with a playful look of disapproval.

"You mean you were eavesdropping," he laughed when the boy's eyes went wide, thinking that he was being casual only to get busted.

"Not _**eavesdropping**_, just naturally observant… Anyway, Sage is okay, and she gets along with all of us… We like her, Kendall…" Logan recovered, speaking matter-of-factly and confusing his friend. Kendall had no idea why Logan had to say any of that out loud.

"I'm glad…?" he laughed oddly, sipping his soda and looking at the brunette like he grew another head. Logan rolled his eyes, deciding to get to the point.

"Me and the guys still think you have more than friendly feelings for her."

"What?" Kendall choked on his soda, forcing it down while Logan started to strike his back. He panicked. He never thought that he was that obvious, but it was getting harder to even hide it from himself, let alone his best friends.

"Calm down, I'm not yelling at you or anything… Actually, we think that it wouldn't be so bad if you decided to date Sage," Logan offered cheerfully, trying to relax Kendall but also putting the idea out there. It had been nearly a month and a half of friendship between Sage and the boy, but they didn't seem to be acknowledging anything they should have while James, Carlos, and Logan all stood by and waited anxiously for something to happen.

"I have a girlfriend," Kendall said weakly, not even really believing that it solved things.

"Yeah, I know," Logan agreed sadly, hating that his friend was dodging it yet again even though he tried to put it right in front of him on a silver platter. He tried, but it looked like Kendall would have to see it in his own time or just go on with his life ignoring the inevitable.

"It's late. We should head home," Kendall stood up, annoyingly picking the second option and making Logan sigh in frustration, but he didn't say anything else. "You round up the guys. I'm gonna go get Sage," he continued in an overly casual tone, covering up what they were just talking about. He scanned the large room, seeing that Sage had drifted off towards the bar talking to one of the bouncers. He moved through the crowd without waiting for confirmation from Logan, getting nervous about Sage talking to someone he didn't know.

He approached them quickly, but pushed his worry away when he saw that she was smiling and looking at the man's wallet. The guy was grinning like he couldn't hurt a fly despite his profession and pointing to a photo of a baby.

"Hey," Kendall came up behind her with his hand on her back. She turned around instantly.

"Hi, Kendall! This is Scott. He's a family friend, and he was just showing me a photo of his new daughter," Sage explained, pressing into his hold so she was sure that he could hear her. Kendall nodded and offered the man a friendly wave.

"We figured we'd head home now. Is that alright?" he asked, feeling amused that Sage had such a gritty past and now she was looking at photos of a bouncer's baby near a bar without drinking. He found her adorable.

"Sure," Sage replied easily, stepping up to give Scott a quick hug before taking Kendall's hand and following him outside.

They made it through the exit and stopped at the sidewalk by their limo. The two searched the area for the other boys, but they weren't anywhere close. Kendall rolled his eyes.

"Wait here, okay? I'll go find them," he rubbed Sage's arm and disappeared back into the club after she agreed. He was happy to see her in a good mood. The night had gone well.

Kendall hurried into the busy building again, immediately running into his three best friends.

"What's taking so long?" he smirked when he saw that Logan was trying to move forward, but James and Carlos were in the middle of a heated discussion as James showed the boy the pile of numbers he had gotten from different girls.

"It was two against one, Kendall, and this is _**me**_ we're talking about. You're lucky I got them as quick as I did. Next time, I'm in charge of getting Sage and you can rein in Twiddle-Dee and Twiddle-Dum," Logan grinned, shaking his head at the boys when they started to glance back at a group of girls.

"Let's go. You've got enough numbers for a year," Kendall tugged both James and Carlos by the collar, Logan happily following with no effort.

"But I don't have _**her**_ number! She could be the one, Kendall!" Carlos whined but didn't put up a fight as they left through the doors. James shrugged the blonde off, moving on his own accord as he smoothed out the wrinkles in his shirt.

"I'm sure you'll- …damn it!" Kendall stopped smiling, and scowled when he looked to where he had left Sage. She was standing beside the limo with her arms crossed and keeping her eyes on the sidewalk. A group of teenagers had just walked up to her, and he'd recognize the leader anywhere.

It was Caleb Glickman.

Kendall rushed forward with his confused, but concerned, friends in tow. They had all seen the way his face changed when he glanced over to Sage.

"What's the story?" James asked immediately, all of them putting their game faces on and sensing a problem. They moved as a unit down the pavement, getting closer to Sage with each rapid step.

"Ex-boyfriend… He's a tool, and she's gonna need help," Kendall explained shortly, focusing on keeping his anger down to a minimum.

"Got it," his brothers all responded at once, looking almost as pissed with just the simple fact that the guy was near their new friend.

"Hey, baby. You ready to go?" Kendall plastered on a nasty smile for Caleb when he arrived to stand beside Sage. He put an arm around her small waist and kissed her cheek. She had saved him by pretending to be his girlfriend all those weeks before, and this was finally his chance to return the favor. James, Carlos, and Logan all gathered closely around them; ready to shield her from anything. None of them liked the scared and distant look in her eyes.

"Um… yeah…" Sage mumbled, letting out a deep breath when Kendall smirked down at her.

"Aw, Sage, you're leaving already? We didn't even get a chance to catch up," Caleb sneered, making his friends laugh.

"I don't want you talking to my girlfriend," Kendall growled, tightening his grip on Sage. Caleb only chuckled, not intimidated in the least by the way the boys all stepped forward to form a tighter circle around the blondes.

"I bet your sleeping with your new boy and all of his friends… Why wouldn't you touch mine? Not good enough for you, Henderson?" Caleb smirked when Sage flinched at his tone. He was brutal, like they were never friends; like she never meant anything in the few years they had spent together. It made her angry, but also sick, as she relived the disgusted feelings with herself. How could she have stayed with someone like that for so long and just walk right back into the abuse?

"Why do you assume that she's with all of us?" Carlos chimed in, his usually happy demeanor nowhere to be found. He was offended and protective of Sage, not appreciating anyone being rude to her.

"The bitch isn't exactly pure," Caleb informed him nastily, still grinning maliciously at Sage and never talking his eyes off of her.

Kendall stepped towards him instantly, but James tugged him back to where he was in order to prevent a fight, even though they all kind of felt like taking a swing at the cocky boy.

"Sage needs you, Kendall. You can't end up in jail…" Logan whispered beside him, eyeing the cops just down the block talking to someone who looked pretty tipsy. The only reason he knew that Kendall heard him was that the blonde eased back into their line completely and settled his hand on the lower half of Sage's tense back.

"Just go inside, man. Don't start shit…" James sounded annoyed, like he was thinking about whether the four of them could take on Caleb's posse; scanning them with narrowed eyes and crossed arms. The dark-haired boy had three guys around him and a few girls, one of which was right by his side.

"Don't worry, Backstreet Boys, I'm going… You wanna come with us, Sage? You wanna stroll down memory lane?" Caleb spoke softly, trying to lure her in.

Sage watched as he grabbed Samantha Carson and tugged her body to his. The brunette girl didn't put up a fight when he dropped a kiss onto her shoulder with dark, spiteful eyes glued to Sage's fretful ones. Caleb could tell that she considered it for a split second. She used to be the girl on his arm, and she didn't have to feel alone as long as she did what he said, but she wouldn't go back to that.

"You're better than them, Sage… You're strong," Kendall whispered into the girl's ear so only he and the boys could hear the reassurance, and she relaxed instantly.

Her eyes lit back up with a knowing smile, and she shook her head at Caleb, who looked pissed off at being passed up. He had been itching for her to either fight back or give in. He always hated being ignored. He despised the fact that he couldn't seem to worm his way under her skin anymore. She wasn't the same girl he knew.

"Let's go home… Have a nice night, Caleb. Don't knock anyone up or die from an overdose," Sage grinned, finding her voice and the wit that Kendall loved as she waved at the stunned boy and started to climb into the limo with Logan holding the door open for her.

"Fuck you," Caleb called out angrily, yelling at his ex with hatred.

"Not anymore," Carlos spoke in a singsong voice, glaring at Caleb before slipping into the limo after Kendall and Sage.

"That privilege belongs to Kendall now… Your loss," James smirked, sticking his middle finger up at the boy, still playing along with the lie that Kendall and Sage were dating while silently praying it would become a reality.

James slammed the door shut, and the driver started to make his way down the street. The ride was silent for a few seconds, until all five of them burst out into a fit of laughter. Sage thought she'd never be able to see Caleb again and survive the moment, but she had done it with the help of her new friends and she felt stronger than ever.

"You guys were awesome… Thank you…" she smiled at each one of them, leaning against Kendall when he rubbed her back.

"That was kinda fun. Do you know any more tools that we can put in their place?" Carlos punched the air a few times, jabbing at an invisible opponent. Logan rolled his eyes and made him stop when he almost socked him in the shoulder.

"None that I can think of," Sage shook her head, relaxing against Kendall as he twirled her hair absentmindedly and watched his friends with overwhelming gratitude.

"If you do think of any, just let us know. We'll be there in a heartbeat," James grinned, reclining in his seat with a sweet smile when he observed Kendall and Sage together.

If tonight was any indicator, the two of them were supposed to be together. The boys could all see it. Sage and Kendall acted like a couple without really being one. They needed to make it official.

James, Carlos, and Logan were just waiting for them to open their eyes.

* * *

There was less than two weeks of summer vacation left, and Big Time Rush felt like celebrating before they had to leave, but there was no way that they were going to another club. After the last time, even Carlos and James agreed that they had experienced enough of that lifestyle.

The group decided to invite their Palm Woods friends over for the day like they had earlier in the summer, thinking that there would be no way for any drama to occur. The get together went off without a hitch, and the evening arrived sooner than anyone realized. Sage and Kendall had been attached at the hip ever since the club incident, and they were both starting to feel the vacation coming to a close. They weren't ready to say goodbye.

After the sun set and the moon brightened the sky, only a few guests remained at the house, and they were all outside by the pool chatting softly and staying in small groups. Logan, James, and Carlos sat with Camille and Guitar Dude discussing one of the brunette actress's recent auditions and the radio was playing; filling the entire area with music.

"Dance with me?" Kendall asked Sage, standing up from his seat and holding his hand out to her suddenly. They had been sitting in silence, watching the beach down below, but Kendall felt the need to do something with her and, as usual, he spoke without thinking. However, he wasn't all that upset. He loved the idea of holding her in his arms.

"You're so random… No one else is dancing," Sage smirked like she didn't really care, taking his hand and standing up so he could pull them into the area beside the fire pit and infinity pool.

"Since when do we care what everyone else is doing?" he grinned tugging her against him as the radio started playing a slow song. She was only wearing a skirt and a bikini top, and his chest was bare from when they swam earlier.

_**A drop in the ocean,  
A change in the weather,  
I was praying that you and me might end up together.  
It's like wishing for rain as I stand in the desert,  
But I'm holding you closer than most,  
'Cause you are my heaven.**_

Then danced slowly, his hands resting on her lower back with his thumbs occasionally circling the warm skin as her breath tickled his neck and her fingers danced up and down his shoulder blades without either one of them realizing it. Kendall placed his head in the crook of her neck while her face turned into his body near his collarbone.

The more they touch, the more they feel, the more they get carried away.

Kendall wrapped his arms fully around her, wanting to get Sage closer than possible, and his breath on her ear made her shiver against him. She thought that she would have pulled away if they ever let themselves get this close, but she only ended up holding him tighter. Without thinking, Kendall kissed the skin of her neck, and she squeezed his body as a silent agreement to continue. His lips found their way to her shoulder while they swayed to the music only slightly, not caring about dancing anymore and hardly hearing the melody. He tasted her and felt her with his hands shamelessly, forgetting about anyone else that may have been around while she pressed a chaste kiss right above his heart.

"Sage…" he whispered shakily, wanting to see her face.

They could feel themselves tumbling over the lines they had set in place.

She pulled away, keeping her hands on him as their legs stilled. They stared at one another for a moment, silently begging each other to make it stop, but neither one of them wanted to ignore it anymore. They were running out of time, and they didn't want to miss their chance; a chance at something amazing.

Kendall slipped his hands up to her neck and bent down as she tilted her head up, their mouths fusing together instantly before anyone could think differently. They gasped at the contact, chills blowing their way through their spines as it intensified. Sage moaned softly when his tongue caressed her lips, letting him pass without a care in the world and tasting him happily. Kendall groped at her sides, feeling like he couldn't get enough of their first kiss, but, when they pulled away with heavy breaths, Sage went stiff in his arms.

She was the first to realize the weight of what they'd done, and it made her ill. She never wanted to hurt Jo, even if she didn't know her, and doing this harmed Kendall. He was just put in a terrible position, and Sage was wracked with guilt.

"I- I have to leave…" she muttered, stepping back and ignoring the freezing air on her body when he wasn't touching her anymore. She didn't look up at him, knowing that she'd lose her resolve if she did.

"Don't… Stay, _**please**_… I want you to…" Kendall pleaded, trying to reach out for her, but she wouldn't let him. Sage backed up further.

"I c-can't…" she shook her head and spun around, walking quickly through the house to leave and go to her own, where she wouldn't have to see him.

Kendall almost ran after her, but decided to give her space; thinking he must have made a mistake. He never wanted to push her into anything, and he felt stupid for taking the initiative and catching her off guard. Maybe she didn't feel the same way about him as he did for her, and he just made a terrible decision.

He sat down on a nearby chair heavily, burying his head into his arms while he struggled to breathe. He had been dodging his feelings the entire summer, and now they just smacked him in the face like a sucker punch. Kendall usually had everything figured out. He always had plans, but this was spontaneous even in his mind. His body made the choice for him, and he didn't regret it. He wanted Sage more than anything in the world, but, this time, Kendall might not get what he wants.

"We saw you and your _**friend **_making out," James and the boys appeared beside him within the next hour after he had tried to reach her repeatedly over the phone.

"James!" both Carlos and Logan elbowed him for his insensitivity, and the brunette yelped when they made contact with his ribs.

"What he meant to say was: Are you okay?" Carlos clarified with a glare at James while Kendall still sat in his chair with little emotion.

"Sorry, I was just trying to lighten the mood… You look really bad, Buddy…" James mumbled in concern, studying Kendall's tired eyes and slumped shoulders.

"I feel like shit," the blonde laughed darkly, rubbing a hand over his face.

"What happened?" Logan asked while he and the others moved to sit at the table around him.

"I- She… We just kissed… and it was fuckin' amazing," he smiled a little at the memory, swearing he could still feel his lips tingling.

"Not seeing the problem," Carlos beamed at the idea, loving Sage and Kendall together.

"He's got a girlfriend, Carlos," Logan reminded him sadly, not liking the idea.

"Right…" the Latino sighed like he wanted to forget that small fact.

"Sage was upset because you made her feel like the other woman, right?" James wondered, sounding as if he already understood the answer.

"How did you know?" Kendall huffed, groaning as he laid his head back down on the table.

"I know girls… Sage doesn't want to be used, Kendall… She doesn't want to hurt anyone or get hurt herself."

"She was probably scared out of her mind," Logan commented thoughtfully, frowning a little and tugging the sleeves of his sweatshirt down as a breeze passed by. Kendall was still shirtless, but he doubted the boy cared about the cold right now.

"I know… I know, she's freaked out… I don't know what to do. She won't answer my texts or calls, and I don't want to just force my way into her life…" Kendall explained sullenly, squeezing his cell tightly in his palm.

"So, you want to be a part of her life?" James inquired, looking for clarification while Carlos and Logan watched on with hopeful stares.

"More than anything," Kendall nodded vigorously, sitting back in his chair.

"Then there's some things you gotta take care of first… You can't ask Sage for anything until-" Carlos started, but Kendall already knew what he was going to say.

"I break up with Jo… How am I supposed to do that? I don't like hurting people's feelings…" Kendall mumbled gloomily, playing with his fingers in his lap.

"That's what got you into this mess… You can't always please everyone… You're allowed to be a little selfish sometimes…" James voiced sternly, looking at him with strong eyes.

"You deserve to be happy," Carlos agreed wholeheartedly, nodding beside James as they watched Kendall think.

"It's going to be rough, Kendall, but you'll get through it…" Logan assured him kindly, offering a smile and a pat to his shoulder. "We'll all be here to help, and we know Sage will be with us too… It's just how it's meant to be."

* * *

"Is there someone else?" Jo shouted at Kendall, completely shocked by his announcement.

She had arrived at the beach house on her scheduled day, having planned on spending the last week of summer there with Kendall, but was startled as soon as she walked in the door. He wanted to break up with her sooner, but he owed it to her to not do something like that over the phone, and he wanted to give Sage a few days to breathe. Jo seemed to know something was wrong almost as soon as he greeted her. He was nervous and he kept their hug almost too short to actually count as an embrace despite the fact that they hadn't seen each other in nearly two months, and the bomb really dropped when he started the conversation with "I want to break up".

"Yes…" Kendall admitted quickly, spitting out the truth he could no longer hide and preparing to be slapped.

Jo just stood completely still, her eyes wide. She only asked the question because of how angry she was, but she hadn't expected him to confirm her usually unfounded suspicions.

"Who- What the hell, Kendall?" she screamed, throwing her hands in the air and making Kendall flinch as she started to pace the room. This was not how she thought her week at the beach was going to start.

"I'm sorry… I didn't mean to do any of this… It was just supposed to be a vacation, but then I found Sage… I-I'm in love with her, Jo," Kendall explained anxiously, hoping she'd understand, but feeling awkward about it all. He owed Jo a full explanation.

She stood there, shocked at the announcement. Jo knew that he didn't throw that phrase around, and she knew that, deep down, the two of them weren't in love… They were dating and important to each other, but they hadn't reached the next step…

"What happened between you guys?" Jo started to calm down but was still agitated as she looked down to the ground.

"We were just friends, but then I kissed her a few days ago… It wasn't a conscious decision to hurt you… I just felt like I had to do it… I need her…" Kendall told her, pleading for her to understand that he wasn't trying to be a bad person.

"You're serious?" Jo sighed, crossing her arms and analyzing Kendall like never before. He was different.

"Absolutely, I'm –" she cut him off with the answer.

"Sorry, I know… It doesn't make it okay, Kendall… What you did was-"

"Terrible, I know…" Kendal responded for her.

Now they could finish each other's sentences. Now they connect because there is no pretense. They aren't lying anymore. There's no reason for Kendall to keep them afloat with a weak spine. They're done.

"… but, honestly, I should have broken up with you before," he insisted, making Jo's brown eyes widen again.

"Wow, I feel a lot better," she chuckled sarcastically, rubbing her temple with her fingers.

"It's not you… It's _**us**_… We aren't compatible. We fight so much… You have trouble trusting me, and I allow you to control me… I shouldn't have just let those things go, but I sorta know now why you may have been trying to keep me on a tight leash… You could probably see something that I couldn't," Kendall sounded thoughtful, wondering if he had read her all wrong.

"You pulled away emotionally," Jo agreed, her expression softening in defeat. "You were a great boyfriend, Kendall… a great friend… but, romantically, you weren't there. Your heart was never in it.. Not really," she informed him, biting her lower lip at actually admitting it.

"How come I couldn't see it until now?" Kendall asked in frustration, thinking that he put everyone through so much hell because he couldn't open his eyes.

"You were always a little dim," Jo smirked teasing him with a tilt of her head.

The start of their relationship was a hint at what was happening all along. It began with the school dance. He just always fell into things easily, and he had assumed that they were an item. Kendall gave her no grand gesture or display of his feelings. He just rolled with it without much thought. That was probably the first time Jo felt the need to hold him too tightly. Maybe she felt him slipping away before she ever really had him.

Jo hoped that, with time, things would improve, but they just didn't fit together naturally. They were always separate. Jo wasn't Kendall's other half. That role belonged to Sage, and even Jo could see that; see the longing look in Kendall's usually lively eyes.

"So, we're officially done now?" she asked, still smiling at him friendlily as she waited for the official confirmation.

"Yeah, I guess we are… Are you alright?" Kendall had a pained look on his face like he was expecting her to break.

"I'm a big girl… I'll bounce back. Maybe I'll finally let Jett take me out," she grinned.

"You would," Kendall teased, feeling relaxed at her attitude.

He thought that Jo and Jett actually wouldn't make a bad couple. Jett was strong enough to stand up for himself, and he also held an honest desire for Jo that Kendall always saw through the façade. Jo deserved to have someone dedicated to her. She deserved an equal relationship just as much as Kendall did, but they wouldn't find it with each other.

"I'm more worried about you…" Jo informed him, leaning her back against the kitchen counter.

"Why? I'm fine…" Kendall offered lamely, shrugging without much effort.

"I don't see Sage around," Jo searched the area dramatically, waving her arms in a circle, "and you're kind of depressing me even beyond this break up thing," she frowned at the brooding boy.

"She was upset after we kissed because I was still with you… She didn't want to get hurt or disrespect you…" Kendall sighed, resting his hands on the counter beside Jo.

"Well, we're not together now," she reminded him optimistically, trying to give him a hint while he just played with the hem of his shirt miserably. She slapped his arm harshly, letting a little bit of her anger out for a good cause. "Don't be dense, Kendall. Go get your girl."

* * *

It was five full days after the kiss when Kendall finally took Jo's advice. His ex-girlfriend talked to him for a while about how they'd handle living in the same building, both of them quickly deciding to remain friends. Despite all of the circumstances, there were no hard feelings. Kendall couldn't force himself to feel something he didn't and Jo couldn't make him stay regardless. She left later in the evening, choosing to spend the rest of her vacation with her family after the Malibu plan fell through.

James, Carlos, and Logan came home shortly after she made her exit, listening happily as Kendall told them what happened, and then they all but pushed him out the door. He was a free man now, and his nerves were running rampant. He wanted Sage to want him back.

She answered the door after he rang the bell three times and seemed surprised that he was there. Kendall instantly relaxed when he saw her. No matter what, she was always more beautiful each time he saw her. Sage was wearing a short ivory-colored satin robe with her hair flowing over her shoulders, her natural highlights catching the moonlight just right when she shook her head.

"Go away, Kendall," she sounded tired and attempted to shut the door, but he stopped her.

"No," his nerves completely dissipated as he put his foot in the way. Sage made him brave.

"Fine, come in… It doesn't matter anyway… I'm leaving soon," she moved aside and remained impassive as she walked away from him and towards her room.

"What? What does that mean?" his voice rose as he hurried to shut the door and follow her down the hall.

"That I'm not going to be here after tomorrow… You won't see me again," she told him slowly, staying stoic and never making eye contact.

Sage wanted to cry, but she refused to crumble. She had to stay strong for Kendall because he might jump at any opening she gave him, and then he'd be ruined. She couldn't do that to him.

"Are you going back to LA?" Kendall asked, already thinking about how he could see her again.

"N-No," her voice cracked because of how distressed he sounded, but she kept moving toward her room.

Kendall stood in the doorway as he watched her move to the bed, where an open suitcase lay. It was half full and there were others already by the window.

"I'm going to New York to stay with Dustin," she told him softly, staring at her clothes on the bed.

"You can't! You have to stay here, not travel to the other side of the country! It's so far away," Kendall found it hard to breathe. Hearing her plans and seeing the suitcases was making the fear of losing her all too real.

"That's the point," Sage mumbled, playing with the zipper on the suitcase.

"You have to stay, Sage," Kendall insisted again, walking over to her and placing a hand on her arm; loving how her skin felt after not seeing her for days.

"No, I don't," she maintained her firm stance, but her tone was quiet.

"Just give me a chance to convince you... Just one conversation, and, if you're still unsure, I'll let you go without a fight," he assured her, letting his fingers slip all the way around her wrist into a gentle hold. He wasn't sure if he'd be able to keep the promise of not fighting, but he'd try his best if it was what he had to do.

"What could you possibly say to make this better?" she sighed, shaking her head and almost pulling away from him.

"I broke up with Jo."

Sage's eyes finally looked right into his with fright.

"You shouldn't have done that," she whispered, on the verge of tears as she took her arm out of his grasp.

"I had to… It should've happened a long time ago, but I couldn't see what I was missing… It was you, Sage… I want you…" he stepped closer with a low tone, reaching to touch her again with his body buzzing for hers.

"You shouldn't even- You don't want me, Kendall… You're just confused. We're friends… I can't be with you like this," she let a tear fall and crossed her arms over her chest so he wouldn't be able to touch them.

"Why not?" Kendall was heartbroken, thinking it was all over.

"I wrecked your life," Sage said, her breath hitching in her throat. Kendall immediately pulled her towards him, taking her by the shoulders.

"You made it better," he insisted sweetly, brushing her hair away and running his thumb along her neck.

"No… No, you cheated on your girlfriend and broke up with her because of me… I destroyed what you had… I should have left you alone," Sage cried, struggling not to lean into his touch but failing miserably.

"Me and Jo splitting up had nothing to do with you," he informed her strictly, tightening his hold on her.

"We kissed, Kendall!" she hissed like he didn't remember. That moment had changed everything.

"I didn't even tell her that until after I told her that I wanted to end things… It was about me and her… We didn't work, and she saw it too… I'm not stupid. I know I want you, and I made myself single to give us a chance… I realized that you're my next step… You're my future… I was too scared to admit it, but I see it now, Sage… It's so clear… When I kissed you, every single fuckin' confusing thing in the world made sense," he smiled through his own tears, sliding his palms down her arms, forcing them away from her body so that he could hold her hands.

"I- I know," Sage nodded, clenching her eyes shut when his fingers tickled her wrists.

"Then why are you crying, Baby?" Kendall laughed a little, raising one of his hands to brush her hair aside after wiping at a tear.

"I need to be sure that this isn't just some summer thing… I didn't mean to confuse you or hurt you… and you're making so many sacrifices for me. I didn't want you to do that," she muttered, biting her lip when she looked at him apologetically even though he didn't need her to be sorry.

"I know that… You're so good, Sage… You couldn't see it before, but you're perfectly imperfect… It's one of the reasons I love you… I love you so fuckin' much," he grinned, blinking away tears when she stared up at him.

Sage broke. She knew that he had never given that to anyone before. He had never said that to Jo. This was an honor that only she had and the mere thought of it made her chest ache.

She propelled forward, wrapping her arms around him in a bone crushing hug; each of them holding each other like a lifeline.

"I love you too," Sage assured him, making Kendall laugh as he stopped himself from crying and squeezed her tightly against him.

When they pulled back, their faces where only centimeters apart, but neither one of them would close the distance.

"Kiss me…" Sage whispered.

"Will you run again?" he asked with a grin, his hands gripping her hips and massaging the fabric of her robe.

"Never."

They kissed, and it all went uphill from there when they let go completely. Their tongues met effortlessly, and one of Kendall's hands found its way into her hair while the other remained on her hip. Hers were gripping the back of his shirt like she never wanted them to disconnect. He enveloped his arms around her waist and smashed their bodies together, making them both moan at the simple contact. It was an electrifying impact, and the feeling of their tongues engaging in a playful battle that Sage was gladly losing made them shiver all over. She liked this side of Kendall; him taking control and taking care of her.

Without detaching their lips, he pushed her towards the side of the bed and swiped the open suitcase to the floor, sending it crashing down with clothes scattered around the room; laying her down in the empty space. Kendall pulled away to kiss along her jaw and neck as his hand dipped into the top of her robe and slipped the fabric off of her shoulder. He brought his mouth to the newly exposed skin and licked and nibbled a small bruise onto her collarbone. Sage gasped and spread her legs so he could settle between them.

Kendall rose up, tugging her robe open and letting it drape around her body as he kneeled between her thighs with a breathy smile. Holding himself back from touching, he scanned her bare chest and stomach before ripping his t-shirt over his head and tossing it carelessly to the floor with all of the other forgotten clothes. Sage whined from the back of her throat at the sight of him. She'd seen him before when they swam together, but seeing his abs in the moonlight and his chest heaving with deep breaths while he was above her made her crave so much more that her head was spinning.

At the same moment, they reached for each other; their hands pressing into one another's bare torsos while Kendall resumed his position hovering above her. He kissed below her navel, gliding up sloppily and taking everything in with his hands and lips; tasting and feeling what he could now call his. Sage's fingers had slipped up to his shoulder blades, her arms laced beneath his that were holding him up. Kendall moved his palms smoothly from her hips to her full breasts, tracing one of his thumbs beneath it and getting a shudder from his new girlfriend as he kissed right over her heart. He kept his confidence and grabbed her breast gently, kneading it in his hand while traveling his head down to slither his tongue over the other nipple; smirking when she instantly grabbed his hair and pulled him up for a rough kiss.

They both smiled against each other's lips, knowing that being there felt like a paradise; one they would get to have over and over again now that they gave into it.

Kendall's hands fell back down to grip her hips, pressing over the fabric of her black panties while he tilted away and stared into her eyes. Sage's pupils were blown wide with lust, and he was sure that they mirrored his own. Kendall rocked forward cautiously, only thrusting once so that the aching bulge in his jeans rubbed against the sensitive space between her legs over her underwear.

"_**Kendall**_…" Sage whispered harshly, her eyes slipping closed at the thrilling contact before she forced them open again; not wanting to miss a second of the way Kendall looked on top of her. She glanced down at their pelvises, so close to being locked together, and took the initiative to buck back up and let him know it was okay to run on instinct.

They had been playing around with dangerous sexual tension all summer, and they both knew it was time to let go. Sage wasn't a virgin, and Kendall was, but there was no reason to be nervous. They knew each other. They loved each other, and that was all that really counted. The rest would just fall into its perfect place.

Kendall groaned as soon as she pushed up, moving back against her instantly so that they grinded together through the stimulating fabric of their clothes. With every pass of Kendall's erection, Sage felt the pressure on her already swollen clit and Kendall got friction on his constricted cock; both of which became an issue as soon as their lips met. When they had finally kissed like they were the only two in the world that mattered, the heat pooled low in their stomachs like it was just waiting to be released and there was no way to forget it ever happened. They wanted to relive it as much as they could.

Sage wrapped her legs around Kendall's, writhing beneath him with each rough push and pull of their bodies.

"Fuck…" Kendall growled, craving to feel her more as the tension in his lower half built up to an almost painful level.

He buried his head in her neck, breathing heavily and kissing the skin every so often while snaking his arms beneath her body under her robe so that he could feel the smooth skin of her back on them and her toned torso firmly pressed against his. Kendall's breath hitched, feeling her breasts pushing into his pecks every time they vaulted together hurriedly. Sage whimpered, loving the way his bulge pressed against her; an ecstasy she never got no matter how many times she slept with Caleb. He had never cared about her needs or feelings. He only cared about getting off.

"L-Let me up," Sage mumbled, trying to focus through the pleasure pumping through her veins like a strong painkiller.

"What?" Kendall sounded confused, pulling back in fear. He thought she wanted to stop, thinking he messed up, but, before he could even start apologizing or begging her not to ask him to leave, Sage smiled and kissed him lightly.

"Let me up, Kendall…" she spoke more clearly, smirking at him until she got a smirk back from her boyfriend, who was starting to see the mischief in her eyes and getting even more excited.

He rose up a little, enough for Sage to lift off of the mattress with her shoulders into a sitting position. They met in another bruising kiss and slowly rotated so that Kendall was resting at the edge of the bed and sitting up. Sage was placed securely in his lap, bearing down and kissing him with hot vigor while he pressed his palms up and down her quivering thighs.

Kendall almost whined when she climbed off and disengaged from the kiss, making his eyes snap open to search for her like he just lost his puppy, but the smile was back when he saw her on the floor kneeling between his knees. This time he was more hesitant. She worked open his jeans with rushed and jittery hands, feeling like she couldn't move fast enough, and then he realized what she was going to do.

Sage tugged his jeans down to his ankles while Kendall kicked away his socks and shoes in a hurry, letting the tingling in his body take over as he watched her intently. Her fingers danced along his abs, followed by her lips until she reached the erection straining against the fabric of his boxers. Kendall trembled excitedly, feeling her breath ghost over the clothing moistened with pre-cum; making the length twitch in anticipation and his hips all but buck up on instinct.

However, before she could make contact, he came to his senses. He loved seeing her on her knees like she would give him anything in the world, but he knew her past. He needed this to be mutual. He never wanted to use her. He just wanted to have her by his side, not below him. Kendall cupped her face before she could start leaning in towards his groin, looking her right in the eye.

"You don't have to," he whispered quietly, giving her a sweet smile and running his thumb along her flushed bottom lip as he shook his head slowly. He didn't want her to feel obligated. Just having her with him would be enough. Unlike some less desirable mates, he didn't require a blow job to be satisfied as long as he had Sage as much as he could. It was a blessing in itself.

"Wanna," she assured him easily, practically needing to taste him. She wanted him to moan her name like she knew he would. Her voice was quiet, hindered by lust when she kissed the skin of his inner thigh slowly, and Kendall gave in; knowing she'd never lie to him.

Sage pressed kisses all over his skin, teasing him until she finally landed over his throbbing length. Kendall groaned, never having experienced anything like it before, and gripped the sheets in his hand and pushed his feet further into the ground so he wouldn't move no matter how much he wanted to. Sage tongued her way across his cloth-covered dick, the mix of the fabric and her mouth driving him crazy. His muscles started to ache with the need to shift, but he wouldn't do it without permission. He wanted to let Sage control what was happening if she was doing him this favor. Besides, after several seconds of watching her toying with his erection with a dangerous look in her eyes, Kendall decided that the anticipation and torturous teasing were half the fun. He made a mental note to give it right back to her. After all, they were equals…

"Sage…" Kendall muttered a warning. His control was slipping and she was making it more difficult as she sucked the head of his cock through the boxers and dug her nails into the skin of his thighs; making him want her even more.

She smiled apologetically, finally slipping her fingers into the waistband of his clothing and slowly dragging it down his legs while his hips rose off of the bed in assistance. With Kendall finally completely naked in front of her, Sage was glad that she wasn't standing. Her legs felt weak and her hands found their way to either side of his pelvis, grabbing hard to stay grounded. His size was impressive, and just made her want; want everything. The best part was that she knew he belonged to her and she belonged to him.

Sage grabbed him by the base, already feeling the slight jump he had at the contact. She licked the head, tasting the pre-cum hungrily before sucking on the flesh.

"Oh, _**shit**_.. " Kendall yelled, his arms relaxing behind him so that he reclined on his hands to get the perfect view of his lover. Sage lapped at his cock, pressing her thumb against his balls while giving the shaft sloppy kisses and taking in the tip every few passes; leaving him struggling to breathe every time her warm mouth left his flesh moist in the cooler air of the room.

Sage moaned around him, and Kendall stopped worrying. He brought one of his hands forward to lace his fingers into her long hair, fisting it tightly and moving up and down as she bobbed on his dick. She groaned, getting into it when Kendall did and rose a little higher on her knees; letting her angle change so she could take him deeper. Her robe fell down her shoulders, leaving her porcelain skin open for clear view, but the fabric bunched at her elbows because of the way they were bent so that her hands could stay glued to his hips. She sucked him hard, getting a loud moan from Kendall when she took him nearly all the way down her throat.

"Fuck, just like that… So good, baby…" he uttered deliriously, making her hum around him when her own arousal heightened just from his words.

Sage calmed herself and breathed through her nose, taking Kendall's entire cock down and licking the underside the whole way. Kendall's eyes widened, biting his bottom lip hard enough to hurt so he wouldn't move an inch. She pulled back after stilling for a moment, breathing heavily with a grin up at her restless lover while she fisted his length and pumped him rapidly. Her thumb flicked over his slit as she laid gentle kisses all over his groin, licking occasionally at the feverish skin and making his body jolt upward into her tightening hand. She shifted back over, kissing the tip of his dick.

"Do it… " she whispered softly, giving him the permission he was waiting for.

Her hands found their way back to his thighs and her mouth closed over his member, fitting it slowly past her lips to give him the chance to try moving. Kendall tightened his hold on her hair, smirking at the way it made her eyes flutter shut for a moment until he lessened the pressure only to tug a little again to see her squirm. He eased upward, thrusting into her mouth shallowly and building a steady rhythm. Every time Sage would pull up, he'd pull back. When she swallowed him down, he bucked up. He fucked her mouth carefully, only letting go enough so that he was still on the brink of conscious decision making; never forcing his entire cock into her throat unless she initiated the extra push.

"Sage… gonna cum…" Kendall told her huskily, giving her the option to move, but she only blew him harder; pumping him rapidly with her mouth and moaning around him to send vibrations up his spine. "_**Ngh**_, yes… oh, g-god!" He released into her warm mouth with a tight grip on her hair, causing Sage to moan at the feeling of his cum trickling down her throat as she swallowed. She worked him through his orgasm, slowing her movements and massaging his twitching length with her tongue before pulling off and licking her lips; savoring the taste of him as much as she could.

Kendall had barely softened, still riled up even more after watching his girlfriend give him a blow job. He laughed giddily, yanking her up gently by the hair until she was standing in front him, and he instantly grabbed her by the sides, kissing and licking her abdomen.

"You're so fuckin'- Ugh! I don't even know what to do with you…" Kendall groaned, smiling as she laced her fingers around his neck and pulled him even further into her waist; looking down at him with parted lips.

"Do whatever you want," she replied quickly, still panting harshly when he slipped his palms up and over her breasts; teasing her nipples for a single moment before pushing the robe completely to the ground. He slithered his hands back down, hooking his fingers into the hem of her underwear.

"You sure?" he grinned up at her, feeling her legs shaking while she struggled to stay standing.

"_**Please**_…" she whimpered, her eyes shutting as she stepped so close to him that she could feel his re-hardening cock against her knee, which only made her want him more.

Kendall ripped her panties away without another word, dropping them to the ground and letting her kick them aside when they reached her ankles. He licked his lips, not able to resist leaning in and nipping at the sensitive skin of her bare hip, leaving a red mark that she'd still have and love in the morning.

"Come here," he scooted backwards on the bed, pivoting until he rested his upper body against the headboard, and tugged her by the waist so she'd follow him, which she did eagerly.

He pulled her into his lap, kissing her as soon as her face was close enough to him and oddly enjoying the way he could taste his release on her tongue. She moaned when he dominated the lip lock instantly, no more hesitation anywhere in his body. His dick was pulsing again beneath Sage, the slick length rubbing against her inner thigh every time her body writhed and he licked into her mouth. She gasped when she felt his fingers at her center, two of them stroking her dampened folds. Kendall couldn't stop himself from groaning at how wet she was for him, feeling her slide along his exploring digits…

"Do you have a condom?" he asked suddenly, not ceasing his movements but inwardly preparing to contemplate suicide if they had to stop.

"No, I'm on the pill," Sage laughed at his abrupt fear, kissing the relived smile donning his face when she spoke.

"Good… wanna feel you," Kendall murmured darkly, biting her lip gently as he thrust one of his fingers into her entrance with a rough and quick movement.

"Ah- _**mhm**_…" Sage nearly collapsed, keeping herself up with her hands on his shoulders and her forehead pressed into his; connecting their lips in a chaste kiss every few seconds.

Kendall pumped his finger in and out slowly, feeling her inner walls pulse around him warmly. She moaned and wiggled when he kept up a steady pace, making the back of his hand and her bottom brush against his cock. He pulled out, only to go back in with two fingers and pick up his speed. She shouted and dug her nails into his arms, biting at his neck when he used his thumb to stroke her clit. She couldn't stop the little, sensual noises from spilling out; making Kendall growl as she writhed into his working hand.

Her hips were grinding wildly into him and her breath was catching in her throat as he curled his digits and pumped them vigorously, keeping a steady circular pattern going on her most sensitive nub with his thumb.

"Cum for me, Sage…" he commanded provocatively, his tongue darting out to lap at the skin beneath her earlobe and his free hand pressing into her lower back before grabbing at her ass.

"Yeah, _**fuck **_…" she nodded frantically, squeezing her body against his and rocking her hips into him to grind her stomach into his cock as her orgasm hit her hard. She yelped softly, biting her tongue and clamping her eyes shut as Kendall eased her through it with slowly moving fingers at her core and her clit. He loved the way she shook above him, still clinging to his body like she wanted more. They both did, and they could read each other without even having to see their faces.

Kendall slipped his hand away, palming both sides of her hips as he flipped them over violently; chuckling euphorically when she did at his eager movements. Her legs instantly fell wide open, allowing him to settle between them as she pressed her head into the pillow below. Slinking up her body, Kendall's tongue lapped at her lips teasingly before diving in for a brutal kiss that made both of them groan from the hungry sensations.

"I've been waiting so long for this…" she admitted serenely, sighing as his palms rubbed the outside of her open thighs and his dick brushed across her folds

"Me too… I almost jumped you that second day I saw you on the beach," Kendall laughed, settling down enough to enjoy Sage's mere presence; loving the way she felt and sounded and responded to his every touch and that he was allowed to have reactions without having guilt consume him.

They're finally together, just like they always should have been. It took a while to get here, but the journey was worth it because the destination was pure heaven.

"Love you," Kendall kissed her cheek, murmuring the words he'd repeat over and over into her flushed skin and trailing his lips to his lover's.

"Love you too," she responded immediately, always feeling the phrase resting in her throat; waiting to be said whenever possible.

Sage settled her hands on his back as he lowered on top of her more, keeping his fingers locked tightly at her hips. While he pulled away from their kiss, he forced one of his hands off of her and wrapped it around the base of his cock. He stroked the length a few times, mentally preparing for their inevitable connection, and placed the tip at her entrance. They locked eyes, and he pushed in with one swift movement and elicited a scream out of both of them.

He only paused to memorize the way she fit around him like a warm glove while being buried to the hilt. Sage breathed harshly, her breasts rising and falling as she dragged her fingernails down his forearms beside her. After a second and a silent conversation with their stares, Kendall pulled almost all the way out before slamming back in roughly.

"_**Oh**_…" the rest of Sage's sounds drifted off into more broken syllables as he pushed and pulled slowly, watching her face scrunch up in pleasure and her hair fan out on the pillow below her head as she shook underneath him.

"You're so fuckin' tight…perfect…" Kendall groaned incoherently, moving on instinct and bending down to kiss her chest before moving up to her collarbone.

Sage scratched his back violently, making him moan louder at the pain and pleasure while picking up his pace. He took her hard, slamming their hips together forcefully with every thrust. Keeping her grip on him tight, she slid her arms up to circle his neck and clench her fingers into the back of his hair while he kissed her skin anywhere he could and lifted one of her thighs to wrap around his waist. The new position changed their angle, increasing both of their arousals when Kendall sunk in further than before.

Biting at his shoulder, Sage writhed and whimpered beneath him as she raised her other leg to lock around him and hold him as close as she could get. Kendall grunted with each buck of his hips, his speed becoming faster than ever and his timing growing erratic as the heat coursed through them. When he reached down to finger her clit, Sage squeaked along with the bed, which was thumping into the wall every time their bodies fit together.

"_**Kendall**_, cum with me… inside me…" she whimpered into his shoulder, clamping her teeth down on the skin as his cock pulsed within her.

Groaning at her words and the feeling around his erection, Kendall came harder than he had before; releasing deep into her with thick spurts of cum coating her insides and making her constrict around him with her own orgasm. Sage moaned loudly, nearly drawing blood when she bit him through the aftershocks and her thighs spread and clenched randomly. Kendall liked the slight pain, giving her some of her own medicine with a smirk as he continued to thrust into her sensitive core after they had come down from their highs; gaining a few whines from her hoarse throat.

If they weren't so spent, the mixture of raw stimulation and the idea of fucking again would have had them heading into a third orgasm, but they both relaxed when Kendall settled on top of her. She released her teeth's grasp on his shoulder, licking the abused skin between kisses while he caressed her hips with soft squeezes. He reluctantly pulled out of her, sighing heavily at the loss they both felt when they were no longer joined, but he stayed close. Falling to her side, Kendall kept a leg around hers while circling an arm around her waist and tugging her panting form close to his own heated body.

"I could get addicted to this," Kendall smiled at her, getting one back before he kissed her gently. His lips trailed down her jaw slowly while his hand slithered up and down her torso, occasionally slipping farther down to grope at her thighs and teasingly hover near her entrance.

"Totally hooked…" Sage nodded lazily in agreement, curling towards him to cuddle into his naked body; not caring who was touching where. They were allowed to do whatever they wanted now.

"I'm leaving next week," he reminded her sadly, suddenly realizing the impending loss as he brushed her damp hair away from her face. They lived close, but he would miss seeing her every day. He felt like he couldn't go back to the way things were before the summer. Everything was different now.

"Well, I was looking for a new apartment to live in so I wouldn't have to keep being homeschooled. I hear the Palm Woods is a nice place for Hollywood's young talent… Ever heard of it?" She smirked, biting her tongue playfully and knowing full well that she was talking about his home. She could see herself living and writing there happily. Maybe she'd even start to show Kendall her scripts, which were all recently centered on walking the line between love and friendship.

"You better not be fucking with me," Kendall warned, already smiling excitedly and slinking closer to her. She shook her head and kissed him passionately, both of them already thinking about seeing each other every day for the rest of their lives.

They had formed into an unbreakable pair in unseen ways. It all built up like small grains of sand forming a castle on the beach. Their chance meeting earlier in the summer was purely coincidental. It was a drop in the ocean compared to the entire scheme of their lives, but it was enough to cause a wave; a wave that struck the shore like lightning. It was sudden, illuminating, and severe with an aftermath that rippled through its victims like electricity, but it ended in a positive light; the clouds parting to reveal a beautiful blue sky.

Sage and Kendall would be basking in it forever.

* * *

**A/N: And there we have "A Drop in the Ocean"- the first KAGE one-shot, which would not have been possible if I didn't have the pleasure of being fanfic friends with surfergal23. If I hadn't written this for her birthday, it just would've stayed locked in my head lol :D and, since I always say it in PTS… Go read her story HOOKED ;D**

**I'm not sure what the next one-shot will be yet, but there's bunch of naughty ideas in my head, and I hope you'll come a long for the ride :D**

**Past the Sorrow will be updated tomorrow night as always (although it might be closer to midnight because of how long this took to write lmao!)**

**PLEASE REVIEW if you liked this! (or even if you didn't :) Anonymous are enabled :) Don't be shy! :D**


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